Official Cook-Off Rules
Here are the rules that will govern each team in the inaugural Gumbo Cookoff. Judges will have an additional set of criteria to judge by.
Official Rules
Team Entry Fee: $120
1. One Pot Teams will be comprised of no more than 4 members. Teams will be provided with 2 tokens per team member (8 in total) to be exchanged for complimentary beer provided by the brewery. All other beers will be an out-of-pocket cost.
2. No outside alcohol will be permitted on the site. (Unless they are New Magnolia or True Anomaly products or used for cooking with prior approval)
3. Teams will be provided with 10x12 space, trash can, and napkins. We will also provide all serving utensils (cups and spoons). Each team will be responsible for supplying a tent and at least one table. No cooking equipment, propane, tables, decorations, Power, etc. will be provided by the hosts.
4. Everything MUST be cooked in one pot. Let me repeat that…EVERYTHING must be cooked in ONE pot. Anything not cooked in the pot will not be judged as part of the dish. (EX: You make salsa and serve it with chips. The chips will not be part of the judging unless they are also cooked in the pot)
5. You may only cook and maintain one single pot. Cooking backup pots or taking multiple turn-in samples from separate pots results in immediate disqualification. There will be only one entry per team.
5. All ingredients must be cooked on-site. This includes items like rice, pasta, quinoa, etc. Roux must be cooked on site, as well as any proteins that you plan to serve. You may prep ingredients prior. Prechopped veggies, marinated meats, stocks, etc. NO PREMADE ROUX! Show us what you got!
*No Deep Frying: We do not have a grease trap or a way to properly dispose of the grease.
6. Teams may arrive by 8am to start setting up and cooking. Plan on cooking at least 4 gallons of food. Teams must be ready to serve the public by 12pm, with judging beginning at 1pm.
*We ask that all teams arrive no later than 9am for logistical reasons. Our space is small and it is difficult to accommodate teams that arrive much later than all of the other teams. We allow teams to drop off equipment the day before, so please plan accordingly.
7. Judges panel will be comprised of 4 individuals of varying backgrounds, and will be judging on the following:
Appearance, Aroma, Consistency/Texture, Taste/Aftertaste, Originality/Presentation
8. Each Judge will be assigned a group of teams, or heat, which they will be responsible for. They will then choose a winner from their heat to go onto the finals. 1 team from each heat will compete for the championship. Once all heats have their submission, all judges will try samples from those teams and make final judgement.
9. Not being chosen for the Judges’ finals will not eliminate you from the People’s Choice vote.
10. People’s Choice Judging will conclude at 4pm. Jars with team number will be present and guests will have 1 token to vote for their favorite team's dishes. People’s Choice tallying will be done in front of each team.
11. Teams must provide a hand-washing station. This consists of clean water, soap, and a catch tub/bucket.
12. Gloves must be worn at all times by anyone serving or cooking food.
13. Teams are encouraged to decorate their tents. While this may not factor into the blind judging, it does go a long way in People's Choice. Have fun with it.
14. Have Fun! This is our first One Pot cookoff, and we hope to make this another annual event.