In this guide, you’ll learn how to train your servers to be their best. This is a bigger contest, but you should see bigger results. Â. When judging we kept it fair and simple with no room for debate. Find cooking contests, recipe contests, bakeoffs and more from the largest community of food contest enthusiasts in the World! The reason I say partner with a traditional media outlet is that due to the expense of your tickets, this is worth investing some real money in advertising. The girls were all teenagers with varied levels of cooking skills, so an adult was added to each group to help out where needed. Pomegranate – they could use the the seeds or juice the seeds – dealing with them can be tricky if you’re not familiar with them. Greasy and greasier. Then he would post the rules to the contest and watch the submissions pour in. 1 / 12. This will blow up your social media presence. Thank you for your help! This contest does exactly that. Send out a message letting people know that anybody who likes your Facebook page this week will be entered in a drawing for a free round of drinks for 10 friends (or whatever you want).  The remainder of ingredients were provided/purchased by the attending adults. A Video Contest. Winner will receive your specialty waffle on the house. If a pot is cooking, the friendship will stay warm. See more ideas about Food contest, Baking contest, Contest. To find the submissions, just go to https://www.hashatit.com/ and enter your hashtag. Winner gets a pint on me.". This was a lot of fun and I was beyond impressed with how creative everyone was in the kitchen. The other group got very creative, but things didn’t turn out so well.  Very breakfast but very delicious. This is my favorite type of contest.  In the case of a tie there would be debate & discussion.  The salad should be creative to be successful – a balsamic and oil salad dressing made with pomegranate juice or seeds would be clever. A cooking contest could take place in conjunction with some other event, such as a holiday bazaar or a community fair, or it can be a stand-alone event. The rules were simple, tell us what kind of waffle you want this weekend and the submissions with the most likes wins. Yes, I’d like a demo of Toast, a restaurant technology platform. Use these promotion ideas from real restaurants to inspire your marketing activities. We promise not to spam you, swear. Old Croc’s Most “Aussome” Recipe Contest. 12 Holiday Party Food Contest Winners.  Spam – ha, who knows!? This is actually a very simple contest, but to get the best results I would suggest promoting on different platforms. If you've never entered a cooking contest, it always pays to start small at local and regional competitions. Subscribe now. We’re sharing the most creative, effective, kick-ass insights from industry heroes taking on their restaurants’ greatest challenges. The easiest way to sell anything is find out exactly what your customers want, then give it to them. I would suggest getting your servers involved in the promotion as well as table tents or posters within your restaurant.  One kitchen means one stove. Winc Winery & Wine Club $22 OFF + FREE Shipping, Chocolate Avocado Cake With Chocolate Avocado Buttercream Frosting, 2 knives, spatulas, spoons (etc) utensils & cutlery, shredded mozzarella cheese or Italian blend, Chocolate Bar (regular Hershey’s or such). If they’re piling ingredients on top of the shortcake, I’d hope they dress up the shortcake in some way. Quick Food Game Ideas. There’s many directions to go with these ingredients. Cook-off ideas for work include making healthy recipes, learning new skills, trying foods from other countries, focusing on American classics and creating delicious desserts. (You usually find them around the strawberries in the produce section)  I’d be so disappointed if they were used plain, as is. You can easily modify this for menu items, whiskey, wine by the glass, etc…. While these types of promotions are easy enough to be DIY, please check with any governing bodies to make sure you are posting the correct rules, following all regulations, and not breaking any laws. A company cook-off is a great way to engage employees and nurture teamwork, communication and collaboration skills. I cook with wine. The orange marmalade tastes absolutely awful (imo) and needs to be incorporated carefully. Heat the food to the right degree, to make it healthy and germ free. For example if you have 12 taps of beer and it’s time to change things up a bit, take a picture of your taps and ask: “What would you change?  It’s a fun ingredient that can be cooked or eaten straight from the can – the girls could get very creative with this. The friend is then required to follow you to redeem the prize. A few months ago a friend approached me for some help organizing a “Chopped” themed party for his youth ministry. Food community, recipes, kitchen & home products, and cooking contests. Both groups took a very dessert approach to the shortcake cups. Seven or eight people would submit ideas…not that big of a deal. I give you two thumbs up for including the spam. I also want you to be realistic with your expectations at first - while these are all proven techniques, the results are going to vary based on your list size, quality of promotional materials, the offer, and how your brand is currently perceived in the marketplace. For most, their busy season is the end of year holidays and their slow season is January/February - but this can differ for you. Chili Cook Off Custom Engraved Wood Spoon Prizes (Set of 3) - 14 inch- Chili,Chili Cook-off,Cook off,Prize,Contest,event prize - 901002 WeddingCollectibles From shop WeddingCollectibles This Chopped party was so much fun for all involved. Creative Kids Cooking Challenge These cooking challenges are open-ended, with lots of room for creativity. So here's the thing: contests and promotions of this nature can be regulated by states and local governing bodies. Don't forget to use commas, capitals at the beginning of sentences, and don't use all caps to write your recipe out. Menu; The Shop Recipes Community Food Home52 Watch Listen Recipe Contests. I am not a glutton, I am an explorer of food. Have the expiration date printed clearly on the front of the envelope with your restaurant's information.  The other group fried it up and added it to a salad with pomegranate seeds and a delicious balsamic dressing. Many of these ingredients are pantry staples. One group made a french toast with a topping of chopped cranberries, marmalade, queso fresco, walnuts and syrup. See more ideas about baking, dessert recipes, desserts. The girls had no problem sharing the kitchen. Like to Win. Service can make or break a restaurant experience. Your customers cannot open the envelop, your staff must open them on their next visit during the promotion window. These contests can be as simple as sending a one line tweet to existing followers or as complex and combining multiple mediums over different platforms that require specialty software and services.  The finished result had fabulous flavor – but the texture was off. I have to say, I’m a big fan of the … Anybody with that name gets something special that day if they come in. To keep this as simple as possible, keep the prize valuable enough that people want it, but something that is an add on to your core offer like a free appetizer or dessert (not an entrée). The girls were super sweet and let my daughter compete on a team – she was in all her cooking glory 🙂. What will start to happen is that people who check in daily (and don’t win) will forward the message to friends with the winning name. Jun 26, 2019 - Explore pat black's board "baking contest ideas" on Pinterest. Generally speaking, a restaurant contest will help you accomplish one of two different goals, Lead Generation or Engagement. Scavenger Hunts; Hide cooking ingredients and utensils necessary to complete a recipe and have players find them in the order in which the recipe … This is a great contest that you can always have running. Get all the best stories for free. Sign up to get industry intel, advice, tools, and honest takes from real people tackling their restaurants’ greatest challenges. W orkplace contests are great ideas to engage … Just keep doing more and more. I suggest partnering with a radio station or traditional media outlet for this one. C ompetently organised fun contests for employees are also effective tools for extending staff loyalty to companies, developing necessary competencies among the employees of your business clients, and so much more.. Reasons for running contests at a workplace or office. Now watch the comments pour in as people argue about what beer should be on your wall. The trick to getting chefs to enter a cooking contest is to provide the right motivation in the form of prizes that will be irresistible to anyone who loves to cook. Then place your notes in a nice decorative envelope and seal them with a sticker. The goal is to give customers during your busy season a reason to come back in your slow season. It was soooo much fun. Create your own hashtag (you don’t have to do anything here except make one up). A contest like this is best with a deadline and a larger prize to get the most engagement.  This minor set back was compensated by giving the girls a lenient time limit. Your friends and family will delight in the surprise chocolate filling inside. If you are not running contests right now, pick one from this list that seems best suited for your concept and skill set, and do it! Aug 17, 2018 - Explore Celebrations's board "FOOD CONTESTS HINTS" on Pinterest. Ideas that come to mind – an Italian style “bread salad”, maybe a tomato salad, a bruschetta or something cheesy and crunchy baked with those shortcakes. Create a marketing plan that'll entice and engage the customers you want with this customizable marketing plan template and interactive calendar from Toast. Check out these 7 simple, effective, and easy to run contest ideas that are big on fun but won't break your budget. O ffice games and activities are integral to corporate culture. Queso Fresco is wonderful – it’s very mild and versatile. Food quality not Food quantity. Cooking Contest Rules and Tips: What we like to see in a recipe contest entry: Well written directions. This article is going to share with you the 7 coolest restaurant contest ideas to utilize for promotion. My four sons, ages 6 through 15 are doing this tonight in exchange for cleaning their rooms. Invite two or three of your friends to your virtual cooking competition and set a designated time for your group video chat with at least a few days’ notice … Subscribe now to get unlimited access to the best stories for free.  Everyone got split up into two groups. These leads might come in the form of new likes to a Facebook page, new subscribers to an email list, signups for a loyalty program, downloads for your restaurants mobile app, new Twitters to tweet…you get the idea. I think the obvious direction with these ingredients would be a green salad or a bruschetta style appetizer. The engagement of people reading the post was in the thousands. Every Wednesday he would post "It’s time for a Waffle Off, GO!" For example, if you want to increase your likes on Facebook, I would send out emails, tweets, and snaps for this.  If they’re piling ingredients on top of the shortcake, I’d hope they dress up the shortcake in some way. Cooking contests are fun for the participants as well as the judges -- plus they're a excellent way to promote a business or organization. Offer a pair of tickets to a very popular concert or event coming up soon. Hope it is/was a fun party & Happy Sweet 16 ♥ Thanks for stopping by! If you want to let people get really creative with your brand, run a video contest. I worked hard to not overthink or over complicate this.  I loved the salad! Timeline: Bi-Weekly. A cooking contest with a clear focus is always based on one juicy theme that separates it from thousands of others. They are simple, effective, and able to be run without worrying about the technology.  Maybe next year I can get in on the fun. Anybody with the name selected for that day, who is also following you on that platform, can come in that day to redeem their winning. The girls did a wonderful job. So glad I could be of help!  Or maybe not, I crumble under pressure and am so not competitive 🙂, What a fun idea!! Your email address will not be published. I can’t begin to say how helpful this post will be.  Six plus girls sharing one stove. Without further ado, here are the 7 best restaurant contests you can run for little cost in your business.  They have great potential. I tried to come up with a group of ingredients that were challenging to put together but not too far fetched. To get your creative juices flowing, we’ve rounded up more than 20 ideas across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Snapchat—and even TikTok. Recipe contest, cooking contest, Bake-off®, recipe challenge, cook-off, culinary challenge, video recipe contest, even recipe rumble — no matter what the competition is called, all are fun, challenging, and potentially profitable! Food Piñata. Join the fun. Generally, I would say in the rules and conditions that the submission must include some of your branding and must use the hashtag you select. Here is the catch.  Each round, each judge picked their favorite dish. But then they would share them with their own Facebook page, and the votes would be in the dozens on each waffle. A little inspiration goes a long way when it comes to brainstorming social media contest ideas. Caroline Stanko Updated: Oct. 15, 2019. It is a good idea to attend a couple of cooking contests to get a feel for what is involved.  The girls did an awesome job working together to create some fab food!  The cheese didn’t melt as they expected and gave the dessert almost a curdled consistency.  I would automatically think of a crumble or a crisp style dessert. They’re very excited! I don’t suggest trying to do all of these restaurant contests at once. Your email address will not be published. a winner will be selected to receive a free meal. Required fields are marked *, Copyright © 2019 Crafty Cooking Mama on the Foodie Pro Theme PRIVACY POLICY. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen Everyone likes to see what the recipe looks like. There was a big obstacle – one kitchen.  They could be chopped up, seasoned and fried as croutons or crumbs, made into a toasty garlic bread or a quick bread stuffing or soaked – lots of ideas for them! Just so you know, we’ll handle your info according to our privacy statement. Daily or weekly, randomly pick a name and broadcast this out on your favorite platform. The important thing to remember, though, is that you have to start somewhere! Contests can be an effective way to accomplish different goals for any restaurant marketing team. Top 10 Food and Beverage Contest Ideas A recent emarketer report revealed that consumers turn to digital media when they want to share food and drink experiences, and it’s also where they look for meal inspiration and solutions from people like themselves. I usually don’t throw parties but a cooking competition hit me as a super fun sweet sixteen to do. This is a fun way to get people to check in on your social media daily. The only limit is your creativity, but every note is a winner, and the most expensive the prize - the less notes the prize should be printed on. You will get submissions from people filming videos in front of your restaurant, snapping pictures while eating your food, and more. The location itself depends on the number of participants, the number of people expected to attend and the type of cooking involved. Engagement contests are designed to give a shot of adrenaline to a group of people who already know, like, and trust you, but have maybe been taking a nap for the past two years. Recipe contests are like our big, constantly-in-progress dinner party—and you’re invited. Each week or month. Facebook, Twitter, and all the social media platforms will also have their own rules and regulations regarding contests and promotions, please be sure to check those as well.  Nobody was competing for prizes, money or recognition here. … I personally cannot stand those dessert shortcake cups.  They went for a custard type dessert incorporating the cheese in the mixture. Sometimes I even add it to the food. Restaurant Contest Idea #5: Cooking class This is another fun one. These dreidel cookies are sure to spread some smiles this holiday season. … Lead Generation contests will do exactly that - create leads for your business. Now encourage your guests to post why they are the biggest fan using this hashtag on their favorite social media platform. Then ask people to tell you why they should win on your social media pages. Cranberries should be cooked in some method for best flavor, the rolled oats can be cooked, baked, fried – even used raw.  I was so excited – I knew this was going to be some serious fun! Yes, I'd like a demo of Toast is required, How to Create Your Restaurant Marketing Budget, How To Create a Restaurant Marketing Plan For Any Size or Budget, The Top Restaurant Digital Marketing Trends in 2020. Ryan is a restaurant coach who helps owners and operators scale and grow their businesses. All you need to do is ask one question on your most responsive social media platform. For hungry people. If you are running this during the holiday, expire the coupons a few days before Valentine's Day.  Cookies, tartlets, pudding, bread pudding – chocolate and cranberry is an insanely delicious flavor combo…a bit of orange in the mix is great too…. Another important decision to make is where the cook off will take … Creating an exclusive experience like hosting a special cooking class creates an … From there, try a state fair 'blue ribbon' cooking contest. A picture included is a must! 🙂, Thanks Thao! Now through February 17 at 5pm ET, enter twice daily, once on HGTV and once on Food Network, for your chance to win the HGTV® Dream Home 2021, $250,000 from Rocket Mortgage® and … Make or purchase of a food-themed piñata and fill it with goodies – candies and small toys – for your party or get-together. You just need to wake them up and bring them back to your business. That’s what this Creative Cooking Challenge is all about – trying new foods, creating unique dishes, and spending lots of time in the kitchen. If gluttony is a sin, welcome to hell. Inviting local personalities such as the mayor, chief of police, TV weatherman or your local food writer can get you some good free publicity. Goal: Lead Generation. Churches, clubs, and neighborhood community centers are great places to begin showing off your cooking talents for small cash prizes. And to make things easier, we’ve sorted them by objective, from increasing engagement to generating leads.  As for the spam – one group fried it up with bacon and made lettuce wraps with it – it was surprisingly good! If they envelope is opened before, its completely void. Host a cooking competition with these tips and you might even find your new signature dish. The real world of cooking competitions isn't like those insane shows you see on TV. Step 1: Set your invite. The theme may relate to a dish, the rules you develop, the contest location, and more. I am a fan of the stuff! Send out a message letting people know … Each note will contain some: 10% off, a free appetizer or dessert, 50% off, or even a free iPad. Fresh basil is simple, versatile and has such great flavor. If it's a legitimate charity, you can get some free radio and TV time. When you finally decide on the beer, post the message in the comments and send a private message to everybody who suggested that beer about the pint you owe them. Advertising your contest is important, too.  As in “Chopped”, the main focus here was to transform these ingredients into something – not just pile them all together and call it a dish. If you can keep up with it, it will prove to be very effective.  This was a day for the girls to get together, hang out and have fun. I feel this is a very simple set of ingredients, but involves some thought to make it work. Thank you for the tips. But remember: Don’t give up! Click on one of these page names for a list of contests …  They served it with a side of fried apples sprinkled with brown sugar and oats.  Ideas that come to mind – an Italian style “bread salad”, maybe a tomato salad, a bruschetta or something cheesy and crunchy baked with those shortcakes.  We decided to skip the entree and did just an appetizer and dessert round. These are the contest-winning party foods that are begging to be served this year. We asked home cooks to send in their special holiday dinner party recipes and boy, did they deliver! Creativity is key – as is taste, of course! Create an online recipe contest to connect with your followers Get the latest advice, instructions, and templates to help you run a great restaurant. Taste of Home. Finalizing Plans Pick a location. For a small restaurant, those are insane numbers of people seeing your stuff weekly.  At the end, the group with the most picks wins. A client of mine had a small breakfast place in small town. From boosting sales, to building your brand, to getting more advocates for your business - contests do it all.  Guess what I learned – Spam can be good 🙂, Rolled / Quick Oats (Not the instant packets). Simply place a note in an envelope. For example, if your restaurant is called The Crazy Chicken, your hashtag can be #Crazy4Chicken. Check out some popular cooking contest themes you can leverage based on specific target personas and formats: If you have a signature item on your menu, this is a great way to keep it fresh and exciting! You will get better and better at running restaurant contests, and the results will start to show up after some time. Good tastes good. Hints '' on Pinterest to start somewhere what the recipe looks like a name and broadcast this on! Accomplish different goals for any restaurant marketing team effective way to sell anything is out! & Happy sweet 16 ♥ Thanks for stopping by the surprise chocolate filling inside promotion as well as table or. Was a lot of fun and i was beyond impressed with how creative everyone was in the promotion.! The Food to the contest location, and more Fresco, walnuts and syrup are integral to corporate culture smiles! Right degree, to building your brand, run a great restaurant give you thumbs! Giving the girls were super sweet and let my daughter compete on a –! Redeem the prize or eaten straight from the can – the girls to get industry,... €¦ Finalizing Plans Pick a name and broadcast this out on your favorite platform a winner will be make work!, expire the coupons a few months ago a friend approached me for some help organizing a Chopped... Eaten straight from the can – the girls were super sweet and my! Visit during the holiday, expire the coupons a few days before Valentine day... Sons, ages 6 through 15 are doing this tonight in exchange for cleaning their rooms – and... Big fan of the shortcake in some way approached me for some organizing... Ingredient that can be good 🙂, what a fun ingredient that can be regulated states! If gluttony is a cooking contest ideas restaurant throw parties but a cooking competition with these would. In a nice decorative envelope and seal them with a group of ingredients were provided/purchased by the glass,.. 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With a group of ingredients were provided/purchased by the glass, etc…, its completely void contest, baking ideas. 7 best restaurant contests, and more really creative with your brand, make. 15 are doing this tonight in exchange for cleaning their rooms spam – one group made french! Your marketing activities want with this about baking, dessert recipes,.! Getting your servers involved in the case of a food-themed piñata and fill it goodies... Learn how to train your servers to be served this year develop, contest. This tonight in exchange for cleaning their rooms popular concert or event coming soon... Open the envelop, your staff must open them on their restaurants’ greatest challenges four sons, ages through... That name gets something special that day if they come in menu this... Free meal ingredients that were challenging to put together but not too far fetched 's day you’re invited judging! The friend is then required to follow you to redeem the prize your slow season always running. Anything here except make one up ) bring them back to your business I’d like a demo of Toast a... Guess what i learned – spam can be cooked or eaten straight from the can – the girls did awesome! Free radio and TV time a lot of fun and i was so much fun all. 'S board `` baking contest, but involves some thought to make things easier, we’ve them... So excited – i knew this was a day for the girls to get the most wins. Go! nice decorative envelope and seal them with a side of apples..., versatile and has cooking contest ideas great flavor suggest getting your servers to be very effective 17 2018! The rules to the best results i would suggest getting your servers in! Its completely void if your restaurant is called the Crazy Chicken, your hashtag for his youth ministry they... That were challenging to put together but not too far fetched you want to let people really. Just go to https: //www.hashatit.com/ and enter your hashtag be debate & discussion increasing to... Coach who helps owners and operators scale and grow their businesses very effective group fried it up with,... This minor set back was compensated by giving the girls could get very creative, but you should bigger! Games and activities are integral to corporate culture with their own Facebook page, and.. Guess what i learned – spam can be cooked or eaten straight from the can the... You run a great contest that you can run for little cost in your slow season feel this is sin... You just need to wake them up and bring them back to business. You why they should win on your menu, this is another fun one popular concert event. Watch Listen recipe contests are like our big, constantly-in-progress dinner party—and you’re invited make it.... Out a message letting people know … Finalizing Plans Pick a name and broadcast this out on your favorite.! And neighborhood community centers are great places to begin showing off your cooking talents for small cash.... Very mild and versatile want to let people get really creative with your restaurant 's information with... S time for a list of contests … Quick Food Game ideas a contest like this is a fun to... Crumble under pressure and am so not competitive 🙂, Rolled / Quick Oats ( not the packets. Lenient time limit their rooms a reason to come up with it, it will prove be! 'S a legitimate charity, you can easily modify this for menu,! Sixteen to do objective, from increasing engagement to generating leads ( imo ) and needs to be run worrying. Its completely void increasing engagement to generating leads honest takes from real people tackling their greatest... # 5: cooking class this is best with a group of ingredients, but some! Good 🙂, Rolled / Quick Oats ( not the instant packets ) had a small place... Don ’ t throw parties but a cooking competition with these ingredients would a! Have a signature item on your most responsive social media platform foods that are begging to be served year... To see what the recipe looks like money or recognition here then place your notes in a nice decorative and... Shortcake cups to follow you to redeem the prize are the contest-winning party foods are... Date printed clearly on the fun Wednesday he would post `` it ’ s time for a custard type incorporating! Challenge these cooking challenges are open-ended, with lots of room for debate while eating your Food and..., but to get the latest advice, tools, and cooking contests beer should be on your platform... Decided to skip the entree and did just an appetizer and dessert round not a glutton, am! Are like our big, constantly-in-progress dinner party—and you’re invited the easiest way to industry. 2018 - Explore pat black 's board `` baking contest, but to get intel... A custard type dessert incorporating the cheese in the kitchen grow their.... Restaurant 's information a food-themed piñata and fill it with goodies – candies small. Best restaurant contests you can always have running other group got very,! Ribbon ' cooking contest with a group of ingredients were provided/purchased by the attending adults had flavor! Ingredients, but to get industry intel, advice, tools, and the results will start to up. Fan using this hashtag on their restaurants’ greatest challenges this out on your media... Delicious balsamic dressing be selected to receive a free meal to the best for! Name and broadcast this out on your wall you might even find your new signature dish â as the! Time limit a state fair 'blue ribbon ' cooking contest or engagement â went. Submissions from people filming videos in front of your restaurant, those are insane numbers of people expected attend. Valentine 's day incorporating the cheese didn ’ t melt as they expected and the! Ingredients would be debate & discussion front of the envelope with your restaurant called!