Get out of your kitchen and share your chili creation with the rest of the West Shore in a cook-off challenge that is sure to have everyone’s taste buds fired up.
The 11th annual Chili Cook Off, held on Aug. 29 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Millstream Village in Langford is still looking for teams to join in the fun.
Organized by the West Shore Rotary Club, the event will raise money to support a school in Uganda and help West Shore RCMP purchase a new community policing van.
“All the money goes to charity,” said event organizer Dale Simon. “It’s a lot of fun and a lot of chili.”
She encourages teams to sign up by the end of this week so they can be entered in the competition, which she said is bound to be competitive. Thirteen teams have already registered and include a number of local restaurants, businesses and a team from the RCMP.
One returning competitor told Simon, “I’ll be in it until I die.” She laughed, adding, “They definitely like to compete with each other.”
While this is a family-friendly event, it just might be the only competition where contestants are encouraged to “bribe” the judges and are even provided with official bribe envelopes. Their contributions will then be rated on a scale from one to five and added to their overall score.
Teams will also be rated on their presentation, not just on the dish, but on how they have decorated their booths, costumes, showmanship and any extras they bring to the table.
Most importantly the chili will be judged on aroma, consistency, colour, taste and the aftertaste. Following the judging and mass amounts of chili being consumed, judges will compare notes to choose the first-, second- and third-place teams. The most popular team will also be awarded with a trophy for people’s choice award.
Simon noted that booth spaces are based on a first-come, first-serve basis, so teams should get there early, as many of them already have an ideal location in mind.
For those who either can’t cook or don’t want to try their hand in the competition, there is still lots of chili to be tasted at the competition. Members of the public can purchase a voting card for $7 that will allow them to sample all of the different dishes, after which they can vote on their favourite.
The voting cards also include a hot dog option for children who may not have developed a taste for spicy foods just yet, Simon said.
Besides the cookoff, the event will feature a silent auction, plus a bouncy castle, face painting and a petting zoo put on by the SPCA for the kids. So there’s something for every member of the family.
For more information or to register your team email Dale Simon at thesimons@shaw.ca or call 250-818-9776.
katie@goldstreamgazette.com