Nothing goes better with enjoying the fall weather and preparing for the upcoming holidays like a turkey dinner. Thanks to a exciting partnership with Strongbow Inn and ValpoLife, some lucky contestants got to eat all of Strongbow’s famous turkey pie that they could imagine with the first ever turkey pie eating contest.
The rules were simple, whoever could eat the most turkey pie in 10 minutes would move on to the next round. There will be 3 rounds that narrow down the contestants and the lucky winner can advance to the $1000 prize and the bragging rights of being the eating master of the turkey pie.
Contestants included: Steve Antonetti (Valpo Parks), Garner Tullis (Our Greater Good), Bob Phelps (Porter County Career & Tech Center), Jack Hines (Hines Plumbing), Jesse Harper (Jesse Bob Harper Productions), Chris Sandberg (Sandberg’s Towing & Recovery), Dana More (Luke Oil), Ryan Richardson (Luke Oil), Tom Collins Jr. (Luke Oil), Carey Ackerman, Kevin Brown, Joel Cochran, and our very own CEO and Publisher, Chris Mahlmann.
The competition was on as the contestants prepared for the contest. Business Director at Valpo Parks, Steve Antonetti, was ready to flex his turkey pie eating skills. “Advice to my competitors: I’ve been fasting for 3 days so watch out. Just being there elbow to elbow with Garner Tullis and the rest of my cohorts will be an experience in itself and lot of fun, too.”
Not only was the contest a fun time, but it also showed the camaraderie of partnerships among local organizations and companies. “We have been working with Strongbows to help communicate all the great new additions and improvements they have made to the restaurant, bar, and all the events they are putting on that folks in Valpo will enjoy. When they opportunity to jump in and eat as much Turkey Pie as I could, I jumped at the chance to have some fun and join in the story,” CEO and Publisher of Ideas in Motion Media, Chris Mahlmann said.
As the contestants began slowing down on their pie intake, stomachs were full, but spirits were not down. With all healthy competing and support for one another, it was easy to see how Strongbow’s Inn is really a staple in the community and how it brought so many organizations together for fun and the love of Valpo’s treasured comfort food, turkey pie.
“Strongbow’s is very unique in that we specialize and are famous for Turkey. Over the history of the restaurant relationships within the community has been the driving force behind the banquet and events offering. The combination of Turkey and relationships creates an iconic experience across multiple generations,” Luke Oil and Strongbow Inn Owner, Tom Collins said.
After ten minutes of tense turkey pie eating, eight contestants moved on to the next round that will be held a week later. The second round contestants include: Tom Collins, Dana Moore, Ryan Richardson, Kevin Brown, Bob Phelps, Carey Ackerman, Joel Cochran, and Jack Hines. Whether they made it to the next round or not, all the contestants definitely had their fix of turkey pie and had a fun time competing.