2022 National Gingerbread House Competition winners announced. See the creations.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - The caliber continues to rise by great proportions for the competitive holiday event that puts artists’ imagination and technical skill to the test.
On Nov. 21, the winners were announced at the 30th National Gingerbread House Competition award ceremony hosted by The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina.
This year’s entries showcased intricately designed, handcrafted structures that portrayed a range of themes and scenes made of at least 75% gingerbread and featured other edible ingredients.
“Everybody brought it this year. They really stepped up to the plate as far as how they went about their pieces,” said John Cook, judge and executive pastry chef at The Omni Grove Park Inn. “The pieces were so much more magical, they’re so much grander and the attention to detail. It really was impressive to see how everybody grew in their position and came with their best work.”
More than $40,000 in cash and prizes were awarded to the winners in several categories with the most coveted being the Grand Prize.
Ultimately, Ann Bailey, of Cary, North Carolina, won the grand prize for her Peter Pan-themed piece, "When Dreams Have Wings."
“What inspired it is just my imagination. I decided to do something fun,” she said.
Bailey received a check for $7,500, a trophy and a prize package from The Omni Grove Park Inn that includes a two-night stay at the hotel.
This was Bailey’s 11th time competing ― the first was in 2006.
She’s won the grand prize three times before. In 2012, she made "The Three Wise Men." In 2014, she built a chess set. And in 2017, she crafted “The Three Ghosts” which depicted a scene with Scrooge from the Charles Dickens classic.
Yet, she wasn't sure how things would pan out this year.
“I’m always overwhelmed because I feel like the talent here is just incredible,” Bailey said.
Cook said Bailey’s technical skills in hand painting and measurements among other areas made it an overall winner.
“It was so technical. We literally came down to technicalities when it came to choosing the winner,” Cook said. “For (Bailey), she had proportion and that’s a huge thing. Her proportions were correct, (the) different skills she was using ― It wasn’t just one or two different skills. ... She really executed a lot of different things that stood out for us.”
At the awards ceremony, winners were named in the four age categories: adult (ages 18 and over), teen (ages 13-17), youth (ages 9-12) and child (ages 5-8):
Grand Prize Winner, Adult: Ann Bailey, “When Dreams Have Wings” – Cary, North Carolina.
Adult Second Place: Beatriz Muller, “The Time of Christmas Past” – Coldwater, Ontario.
Adult Third Place: Tiny Farm Bakers, “Merry Mountain Mayhem” – Montreat, North Carolina.
Teen (ages 13-17) First Place: Rhinehart Girls, “Fairy Tea House” – Columbia, Tennessee.
Teen Second Place: Courtland High School German Program, “Clara’s Dream” – Spotsylvania, Virginia.
Teen Third Place: Lolajay, “A Merry ‘Type’ Of Christmas” – Asheville, North Carolina.
Youth (ages 9-12) First Place: Coble Adams, “Santa Yoda and His Baby Elves” – Raleigh, North Carolina.
Youth Second Place: Hailey Wesolek, “Christmas In The Treehouse” – Swannanoa, North Carolina.
Youth Third Place: Ella Frahler, “Workbench Of A Sewing Elf” – Greenville, South Carolina.
Child (ages 5-8) First Place: Maisy Frahler, “Christmas Morning Paper Dolls” – Greenville, South Carolina.
Child Second Place: Team Tinker, “The Christmas Chapel” – Lexington, Kentucky.
Child Third Place: Glitter Girls, “Mrs. Claus’ Fairies” – Toccoa, Georgia.
This year, six new specialty awards created in honor of longtime judge and chef, Chef Nicholas Lodge Awards, were introduced to further acknowledge the contestants’ skills:
Best Use of Sprinkles: Odyssey 3-4 Seekers, “The Ginger Ridge Parkway” – Asheville, North Carolina.
Most Unique Ingredient: Strangest Sisters, “Vecna’s Lair” – Asheville, North Carolina.
Longest Standing Competitor: Merry Spafford, “Mother Goose on the Loose” – Loudon, Tennessee.
Best Use of Color: Difficult Dessert Devotees, “Inside Out Christmas Party” – Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina.
Pop Culture Star: Coble Adams, “Santa Yoda And His Baby Elves” – Raleigh, North Carolina.
Most Innovative Structure: Team Andreacola, “National Museum of Gingerbread” – Indian Trail, North Carolina.
And for the first time, competitors were invited to vote for their favorite entry:
People’s Choice: Best in Show Award: Jessica Frost, “Engine of America” – El Paso, Texas.
“Every year, it’s just so much fun," The Omni Grove Park Inn Brand Communications and Events Manager Isabel Miller said. "We’re grateful for all our competitors. We welcomed over 200 entrants this evening. We’re so excited to see each and every house and each and every smiling competitor's face. We’re honored to be here and celebrate these amazing competitors and all this hard work that they’ve put into these beautiful pieces.”
The 2022 judges panel of nationally renowned food, arts and media professionals are:
Mark Seaman, lead judge and culinary applications chef for Barry Callebaut.
Carla Hall, celebrity chef, author and TV personality.
Nadine Orenstein, curator of the department of drawings and prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Cheryl Forberg, James Beard Award-winning chef and dietitian.
Geoff Blount, pastry chef and teacher.
John Cook, executive pastry chef at Omni Grove Park Inn.
Steven Stellingwerf, pastry chef, author and teacher.
Aaron Morgan, executive pastry chef at the Stable Café.
Ashleigh Shanti, Asheville-based chef/owner of Good Hot Fish and 2020 James Beard finalist and a recent “Top Chef” contestant.
“I had so much fun here at Grove Park judging for my first year. The talent is impeccable, the skill, the ideas — everyone has been so creative and awesome,” Shanti said. “The skill level, I didn’t think the competitors would make me work this hard. I actually went into this totally naïve and I thought it was going to be easy. This was incredibly difficult.”
Gingerbread on display
All of the gingerbread creations will be displayed from Nov. 28 to Jan. 2. at The Omni Grove Park Inn.
“There’s so much to see and on top of that, when you walk into the Great Hall at The Omni Grove Park Inn you’re welcomed by the sweet smell of gingerbread," Miller said. "As soon as you hit it, it’s at every turn and gingerbread houses are lined up in the hallways. It’s just such a wonderful holiday tradition that you don’t want to miss out on.”
Non-registered resort guests are permitted after 6 p.m. on Sundays and anytime Monday through Thursday, based on parking availability and excluding holidays and the following dates: Dec. 23, 24, 25, 30, 31 and Jan. 1.
All Fridays and Saturdays are reserved for registered resort guests and those with confirmed dining reservations at the property.
Also, follow the hotel’s social media accounts from Dec. 1-12 for the 12 Days of Gingerbread virtual viewing experience. One winner will be featured each day with the grand prize winner revealed on the final day.
For details, visit omnihotels.com.
Follow Tiana Kennell on Twitter: @PrincessOfPage.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Winners of the 2022 National Gingerbread House Competition announced
