Neverending Pie Buffet (Review)

The Great American Pie Festival is an annual event held in Orlando and Kissimmee. It's a multiday affair, with pie baking, judging, and competitions. There are also cooking demos, entertainment, and a host raft of events at a hotel (the Caribe Royale). But for many, the signature event is the all you can eat pie buffet, which is exactly what it sounds like. For $10, you can gorge until you can eat no more.

There's pie from perhaps a dozen bakers (most of them national brands, but I didn't know all the names, so some might be local), all set up on tables. You stroll up, grab one or more in plastic clamshells, and move to the next booth to repeat. There must have been a few dozen different varieties, between all the booths.

Your $10 ticket includes a bottled water (or three or four, depending on how many tickets your cashier hand you), as well as unlimited coffee and iced coffee. The Publix booth offers ice cream (and some toppings), and the Cabot booth had cheese samples, a new thing this year. It had the longest lines.

The event is always popular, and this year it was more crowded than ever. If it hasn't already reached the maximum capacity for this location in Celebration, it's awfully close. The picnic area where it's held was overflowing this year.

As always, though, it was well worth the money. I look forward to this every year!

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Kevin Yee is the author of numerous independent Disney books, including the popular Walt Disney World Earbook series and Walt Disney World Hidden History.

Pie Festival returns April 27-28

Press Release:

From Career Bakers to Sunday Afternoon Hobbyists, Upper Crust of Nation’s Pie Bakers Are Invited to Showcase Their Best Original Recipes in 19^th Annual APC/Crisco^® National Pie Championships

Pie Events Draw Both Bakers and Tasters: APC/Crisco^® National Pie Championships April 26-28 in Orlando and APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by Crisco^®
April 27-28 in Celebration, Fla.

ORLANDO (March 13 2013) – Some of them bake pie for a living. Some of them simply live for pie. For 19 years, pie bakers of all skill levels — from the Sunday afternoon family baker to the neighborhood bakery owner, from budding pastry chefs putting a twist on their grandma’s recipes to the nation’s most experienced commercial bakers — have gathered once a year to determine who bakes America’s very best pies. From Friday, April 26 through Sunday, April 28, hundreds of competitors hungry for prizes and bragging rights will gather at the American Pie Council^® (APC) /Crisco^® National Pie Championships held at the Caribe Royale All-Suite Hotel and Convention Center in Orlando. In conjunction with the pie championships, the APC is proud to present its 12th Annual APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by Crisco^® on Saturday and Sunday, April 27-28, in nearby Celebration, Fla.

The APC — America’s only organization dedicated to preserving America’s love affair with pie— is now accepting entries for the National Pie Championships from amateur, professional and commercial bakers. Amateur bakers may compete in a flavorful new category this year: Comstock Wilderness pie fillings in the baker’s choice of apple, cherry, blueberry, peach or strawberry. New this year is a Bake Learning Center which will offer championship attendees pie baking tips and instruction by leading industry professionals and pastry chefs.

Last year, the prestigious pastry bake-off drew more than 441 commercial, 115 professional, 237 amateur and 8 junior entries for an astounding total of 801 pies in the quest to find America’s top bakers. Commercial winners took home bragging rights and the promise of greater sales, while winners in all other categories received plenty of dough, as is cash and prizes. This year’s competition is expected to be even more heated. Entry forms and pie categories for each division are available on the APC website, www.piecouncil.org. Entry is $15 per pie for amateur APC members, $35/non members and each entrant receives an Emile Henry pie dish; see website for professional and commercial entry costs. APC members receive discounted entry costs; membership information is also available online.

Pie lovers are also invited to apply to be a judge at the prestigious competition. Last year, 195 esteemed pie aficionados from all over the world lent their time and taste buds to nibble on more than 800 pies. No previous judging or baking experience is required; applicants need only explain why they would like to be a judge. Potential pie judges may fill out an entry form online at www.piecouncil.org through March 30, 2013.

Hundreds of volunteers are also needed to make the championships and the APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by Crisco^® run as easy as, well, pie. Volunteers may indicate the shifts or duties

they prefer to work by filling out an application online at www.piecouncil.org by Tuesday, April 23, 2013.

The Caribe Royale is offering a special rate of $129 per night for those competing in or attending the APC/Crisco^® National Pie Championships or the APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by

Crisco^®.  To receive this special rate, guests must mention the event by name.  Reservations may be made by calling 800-823-8300. For more information about the Caribe Royale, visit www.thecaribeorlando.com.

 “It’s amazing to think that right now, bakers across the country are baking their hearts out, testing out new recipes and breaking the barriers to create even better tasting, more creative and more tantalizing pies than the year before,” said Linda Hoskins, Executive Director, American Pie Council. “Every year brings new surprises and new recipes from the best bakers in all categories, from our amateurs to our professional and commercial bakers.”

More than 39,000 pie lovers from across the globe are expected to transcend upon Celebration, Fla. on Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28 for the APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by Crisco^®. The increasingly popular, free admission festival returns to Celebration with all the activities that have made it a family favorite, including the Pie Creation Station, the pie tin art activity for art lovers of all ages, and the Demonstration Stage sponsored by Village Inn and Bakers Square Restaurants, featuring entertainment and baking demonstrations with chefs from across the country. Always a crowd favorite, the kids’ and adults’ pie eating contests return this year, once again sponsored by Private Selection.

The highlight of the festival is the Never Ending Pie Buffet, which last year featured an astounding 90,000 slices of pie as well as ice cream, toppings and beverages from America’s best known commercial bakers. The Never Ending Pie Buffet has grown each year, from 83,000 slices in 2010 and 70,000 in 2009. The buffet and the children’s activities are the only paid events at the festival.  All stage entertainment and demonstrations are free.  Tickets to the Pie Buffet are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors over 65 and children under 5 to enjoy all they care of eat and drink.

Those interested in keeping up to date on the latest news concerning the pie championships, pie festival or pie news can follow the American Pie Council on Facebook and Pinterest and on Twitter at FYPie.

The festival will be held at Lakeside Park at 631 Sycamore St. in downtown Celebration, Florida 34747. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, April 27; noon to 5 p.m., Sunday, April 28. Admission to the festival is free.

For more information, visit the Front Porch Celebration Community at www.celebration.fl.us or the American Pie Council^® www.piecouncil.org.

Crisco^® is a registered trademark of The J. M. Smucker Company.  For more information, visit www.crisco.com.

The American Pie Council^® is the only organization committed to maintaining America’s pie heritage, passing on the tradition of pie-making and promoting America’s love affair with pie. The APC offers personal, professional and commercial memberships. For more information, please visit www.piecouncil.org. 

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Kevin Yee is the author of numerous independent Disney books, including the popular Walt Disney World Earbook series and Walt Disney World Hidden History.

Press Release: Communications Teacher from Winter Springs, Fl Takes Best of Show in Amateur Division of 18th Annual APC/Crisco® National Pie Championships

ORLANDO (June 5, 2012) - The competition among amateur bakers was even hotter this year at the 18^th Annual APC/Crisco^® National Pie Championships held April 27-29 in Orlando as hundreds of pie makers fought for First Place bragging rights and prize money in 17 pie categories as well as the coveted Best of Show award. Of the 801 total pie entries in Commercial, Professional, Amateur and Junior Chef divisions, 237 were from amateur bakers. The pies were judged by 195 pre-qualified volunteer chefs, bakers and assorted pie aficionados.

The 17 Amateur categories included Apple, Cherry, Crisco^® Classic Chocolate Cream, Citrus, Cream, Custard, Fruit & Berry, Gluten Free, Innovation, Nut, Open, Peanut Butter, Cream Cheese, Pumpkin, Raisin (sponsored by the California Raisin Marketing Board), No Sugar Added and Sweet Potato.

John Sunvold of Winter Springs, Fla., a speech communications teacher at Seminole State College, took Best of Show for his cream category entry, Peg's Banana Cream Supreme Pie, as well as first place in the apple category for his The Apple of My Eye Pie. Sunvold won Best of Show in 2008, his first year in the competition, for his U.S. Route 1 Florida Key Lime with Maine Blueberries Pie. The Best of Show winner in each division is selected among first place winners in each flavor category.

 

Amateur division Best of Show winner "Peg's Banana Cream Supreme Pie" 

Sunvold created the pie based on a favorite dessert he enjoyed as a child and has worked on perfecting the recipe for three years. "Since the ingredients make it a top-heavy pie and the graham cracker crust doesn't offer much support, I really had to work to perfect the recipe," Sunvold explained.

"Each year, my sister comes down from Chicago to compete with me. Last year, I entered this pie, but we ran out of room in the refrigerator so I never ended up submitting it," he recalled. "My wife, Peg, scolded me for submitting other pies over this one, so I let her choose the name for this year's entry, which is where Peg's Banana Cream Supreme comes from."

Linda Hoskins, APC's executive director, was once again delighted to see the nation's most passionate bakers put forth their best creations for the competition. "One might argue that the Amateur division is the heart of this competition because these are the folks who make pie simply for the passion and enjoyment of baking," she said. "We are so thankful that each year, amateur bakers come from all over the United States to share in the camaraderie, the competition and the pure love of pie."

First place winners in the Amateur division include:

• Apple, John Sunvold, Orlando, Fla., The Apple of My Eye
• Cherry, Evette Rahman, Orlando, Fla., My Cherry Amour Pie
• Crisco^® Classic Chocolate Cream, Jeanne Ely, Mulberry, Fla., Lovers Pie
• Citrus, Bev Johnson, Minn., Summer Breeze Pie
• Best of Show and First Place, Cream, John Sunvold, Orlando, Fla., Peg's Banana Cream Supreme Pie
• Custard, Pat Lapiezo, La Mesa, Calif., Raspberry Almond Bliss Custard Pie
• Fruit & Berry, Carol Socier, Bay City, Minn., Blast of Berries Fruit Combo Pie
• Gluten Free, Cordella LaRoe, Eustis, Fla., 3 Cheese Pumpkin Pie
• Innovation, Evette Rahman, Orlando, Fla., Strawberry Kiwi Green Tea Pie
• Nut, Savannah Kreinhagen, Palm Bay, Fla., Sweet Southern Pecan Pie
• Open, Pat Lapiezo, La Mesa, Calif., Salted Caramel Mocha Crunch Pie
• Peanut Butter, Janet Ropp, Edgewater, Fla., Savannah Daydreamin'
• Cream Cheese, Grace Thatcher, Delta, Ohio, Drop Dead Gorgeous Strawberry Pie
• Pumpkin, Alberta Dunbar, San Diego, Calif., Pumpkin Chocolate Surprise Pie
• Raisin, Francine Bryson, Pickens, S.C., White Chocolate Raisin Nut Pie
• No Sugar Added, Carol Socier, Bay City, Mich., Jerry's Favorite Creamy Strawberry/Banana Pie
• Sweet Potato, Jennifer Nystrom, Morrow, Ohio, Maple Pecan Sweet Potato Pie

The Best of Show winner for the Professional division was Susan Boyle of DeBary, Fla. for her Coffee Toffee Crunch a Bunch Pie, a recipe created in honor of her late father, a coffee shop owner, while first-time participant 14-year-old Ana Ramirez of Polk City, Fla. took Best of Show in the Junior Chef division for her Spider Monkey Peanut Butter Pie. Of the Commercial bakery entries, Bakers Square swept the competition with a total of 30 wins. A complete list of winners is available at  www.piecouncil.org.

Next year's competition is scheduled for April 26-28, 2013 at the Caribe Royal Orlando.

Each year, the National Pie Championships are held in conjunction with the free-admission Great American Pie Festival which features the Never Ending Pie Buffet. This year's festival was attended by close to 39,000 pie lovers, up from 32,000 last year, and featured an even more endless pie buffet with a mind-boggling 90,000 slices.

The American Pie Council offers individual membership for amateurs as well as professionals and commercial bakers. Pie lovers receive multiple benefits including the "Pie Times" e-newsletter, membership directory and member-only online "pie talk" access for idea exchange, pie recipes, coupons and discounted entry into the annual APC/Crisco^® National Pie Championships. For more details, to become a member of the APC or to register for the National Pie Championships, visit www.piecouncil.org.

Crisco^® is a registered trademark of The J. M. Smucker Company. For more information, visit www.crisco.com.

The American Pie Council^® is the only organization committed to maintaining America's pie heritage, passing on the tradition of pie-making and promoting America's love affair with pie. The APC offers personal, professional and commercial memberships. For more information, please visit www.piecouncil.org. 

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Kevin Yee is the author of numerous independent Disney books, including the popular Walt Disney World Earbook series and Walt Disney World Hidden History.