The Great Chowder Cook-Off is an annual event that was held at the Newport Yachting Center in
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and northeast of New Yor ...
, US, for 33 years and is now held at
Fort Adams State Park in Newport, RI. The event typically takes place in early or mid June.
At first, the Cook-Off was open only to local chefs, but, more recently, there have been entries from as far away as
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
,
["Restaurants With Outdoor Dining in Seattle"]
''USA Today'' New York,
Atlantic City,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, and
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
.
History
The event was started in 1981 and was originally called the
New England Clam Chowder
Clam chowder is any of several chowder soups in American cuisine containing clams. In addition to clams, common ingredients include diced potatoes, salt pork, and onions. Other vegetables are not typically used. It is believed that clams were us ...
Cook-Off, as New England clam chowder was the only type at the Cook-Off at that time. A creative category was added a few years later, though there was no award (as in the New England category); a seafood category was added the following year. Awards were given in these categories, as well, starting with the 28th annual Great Chowder Cook-Off. The 28th introduced
clam cakes, though again with no award, which came into play in its 29th year. The 30th had a clam cake-eating contest, repeated in 2013 (the 32nd Cook-Off).
The Cook-Off has been assisted by sponsors in recent years, and the name of the sponsor is added to the title of the event. The winner of the Cook-Off is announced at the end of the day, in addition to appearing in ''
The Newport Daily News
''The Newport Daily News'' is a six-day daily newspaper serving Newport County, Rhode Island. It publishes in the mornings on weekdays (Monday through Friday) and in the morning on Saturdays. The ''Daily News'' was the state's largest family-owne ...
'' the next day.
In 2012 and 2013 (31st and 32nd Cook-Offs), the organizers created an additional entrance option: the "Chowderhead Club". These tickets are limited, unlike the normal ticket, allowing early entry and meeting chefs who will later be busy with group demonstrations. In 2011, Stefano’s Seafood Restaurant won the prize for best chowder, and, in 2012, they became the second restaurant to win two years in a row, along with The Mooring restaurant. The Mooring won one time during taping for the
Food Network
Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a joint venture and general partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Networks (which holds a 69% ownership stake of the network) and Nexstar Media Group ( ...
show ''
Challenge''. The show is primarily for baking, but it does have episodes with other focuses—one of which was the Great Chowder Cook-Off.
In 2015, the location of the Cook-Off was changed to Newport's Fort Adams State Park.
The Cook-Off was called off in 2020 due to the
2020 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
.
The event
Tickets are sold at the event and also online through the Newport Waterfront Events website, and vary in price by year; children age 12 & under are free with an adult. After paying for entry, attenders are entitled to the chowder provided by competing restaurants; beverages are available for purchase, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
The contest
Over the years, the basic rules have stayed the same. Each attender is given a color-coded voting ticket for each category:
Clam Chowder
Clam chowder is any of several chowder soups in American cuisine containing clams. In addition to clams, common ingredients include diced potatoes, salt pork, and onions. Other vegetables are not typically used. It is believed that clams were ...
, Seafood Chowder, and most Spirited Team.
"Newport Great Chowder Cook-Off"
''Cooking with the Daily News'' via Gloucester Times Voters then drop their tickets into the bins of the restaurant or company whose chowder they enjoyed the most. The votes are counted about an hour before the event's end. Winners for each category are announced at 6 pm at the event and are immediately posted on the Newport Waterfront Events website. ["NJ, RI eateries take wins at Chowder Cook-Off"]
''Eyewitness News'', WPRI By Bill Tomison on June 7, 2014,
References
{{Reflist
Annual events in Rhode Island
Tourist attractions in Newport, Rhode Island
1981 establishments in Rhode Island
Recurring events established in 1981
Cooking competitions in the United States