During these uncertain times, the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) stands with the foodservice industry. The Real Californian Pizza Contest serves as a vehicle to put the foodservice industry front and center and reward top chefs with cash prizes, which are more useful than ever given the pandemic. Because of this opportunity, CMAB has marched ahead and adapted the 2020 Real California Pizza Contest to take place in a safe, socially distant manner.
Due to safety precautions, the 2020 iteration of the contest will have a unique look. It will take place virtually on November 7th, with our talented finalists competing from the safety of their home.
Pre-Contest:
- The finalists will review the baking and preparation process of their recipes with four instructor chefs from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA)
- Each finalist will virtually perform their inspiration speech to our panel of judges
Saturday, November 7th:
- The four instructor chefs prepare each pizza as instructed by the finalists at the CIA Copia facility in Napa, California
- The pizzas move straight from the kitchen to a spaced-out judges table, where our judges will be live on-site to analyze, debate, and grade the merits of each pizza
- The judges will deliberate together and determine the Category Winners and Grand Prize Winner
Tuesday, November 18th:
- CMAB will deliver an hour-long special that provides a summary of the contest and concludes with an awards ceremony that features our finalists via Zoom
- The live awards ceremony, with real-time reactions from all the finalists, promises to add intrigue, drama, and excitement to the finale of the contest
These adaptions were necessary steps to prioritize the health of our finalists and staff while still awarding THE top pizza chefs with lucrative grand prizes!
Stay tuned for more information and updates about the 2020 Real California Pizza Contest!
