Just because Gordon Ramsey is harsh to too many chefs on TV, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take your culinary skills to the next level. In fact, you can learn, have fun and also win exciting prizes. How you say? By entering yourself in a recipe contest.
However, before you can even think about winning the competition, you need to get through the entry part first, which is quite challenging than it seems. But before we discuss the tactics, there are some quick notes that we’d like to share with you;
Bonus Tip:
It’s not always about winning. You see, the most important thing about recipe contests is the rub you get at the end of the day from professionals and the experience of being out there in front of the world. But if you still wanted to win something for your participation, then you; be happy to know that most restaurants and shops offer gifts and giveaways to anyone who participates in their surveys. Some of the finest online survey sites and apps that do so include:
- Snipon
- SurveyPlanet
- SurveyMonkey
- LimeSurvey
- QuickTapSurvey
Use the following tips that we have provided to help you get through the entry and also, perhaps, even win the whole recipe contest itself;
1. Look for Contests Online
Searching online for recipe contests is perhaps the easiest and quickest tactic you can employ. Just type “recipe contests” in the search engine field and hit ‘enter.’ There’s a couple of annually-recurring contests that you should calendar dates for, but you should also opt for small one-off contests that could be worth your time if you’re doing it for the prizes, cash, or the trips.
2. Familiarize The Rules
Once you’ve found the contest, you need to go through the rules that come with it. Every recipe contest has specific requirements for their entries. There are also rules regarding restrictions about the type of ingredients that need to be used, the measurements that must be taken, cooking methods and other details.
The rules will also let you know about the judging criteria that are used to choose the winners. So you should present your recipe in a way that gives it the best chance of scoring favorably with every judge. The judges can give points for healthiness, creativity, the use of sponsored products.
3. Do Your Research
Before even preparing your recipe, it’s best to do some research and find out the kind of recipe that the judges are looking for. Look into past contest winners and determine the details that went in for them to win it in the end. Was it the flavor, the theme, the overall presentation or the preparation techniques that did the trick?
4. Make it Simple
When preparing your recipe for the contest, think about the people who wish to make it at home for themselves. A dish that is not complex and easy to prepare comes off as more appealing to the average consumer than one requires plenty of steps and time to complete. Therefore, a simple, but good-looking dish will be the one that gives your cooking skills more notice and notoriety.
5. Get Inspired and Creative
To win a recipe contest, it’s pivotal to create a dish that truly stands out from other contest entries. Most of the time, the very first idea you have is the same that many others are thinking about entering. So before you too, go with the first thought that comes to mind, you should really take the time to think outside the box.
Think of many different recipe ideas that fit the theme of the contest and choose the one that’s most unusual.