New England Great Chowder Cook-Off facts for kids

The Great Chowder Cook-Off is a super fun yearly event! It used to happen at the Newport Yachting Center in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. Now, it takes place at Fort Adams State Park, also in Newport, RI. This exciting event usually happens in early or mid-June.

At first, only chefs from nearby could join. But now, chefs from all over come to compete! Some have traveled from places like Seattle, New York, Atlantic City, California, and even Ireland.

A Taste of History

This event started way back in 1981. It was first called the New England Clam Chowder Cook-Off. That's because New England clam chowder was the only type of chowder in the competition then.

A few years later, a "creative" chowder category was added. Then, the next year, a "seafood" category joined in. At first, there were no awards for these new categories. But starting with the 28th Cook-Off, winners in these categories also got prizes!

The 28th Cook-Off also introduced clam cakes. Again, there was no award for them at first. But in the 29th year, clam cakes got their own award! The 30th Cook-Off even had a clam cake-eating contest. This fun contest happened again in 2013, at the 32nd Cook-Off.

In recent years, sponsors have helped with the Cook-Off. The sponsor's name is sometimes added to the event's title. The winner of the Cook-Off is announced at the end of the day. Their win is also shared in The Newport Daily News the very next day.

For the 31st and 32nd Cook-Offs (in 2012 and 2013), organizers added a special ticket. It was called the "Chowderhead Club." These tickets were limited. They let people enter early and meet the chefs before they got busy.

In 2011, Stefano’s Seafood Restaurant won the prize for best chowder. In 2012, they won again! This made them the second restaurant to win two years in a row. The Mooring restaurant also won twice. The Mooring won one time when the Food Network show Challenge was filming. This show is mostly about baking. But it sometimes has episodes about other things, like the Great Chowder Cook-Off!

In 2015, the Cook-Off moved to Fort Adams State Park in Newport. The Cook-Off was canceled in 2020 because of the 2020 pandemic.

What Happens at the Cook-Off?

You can buy tickets for the event at the door. You can also buy them online through the Newport Waterfront Events website. Ticket prices change a little each year. Kids aged 12 and under get in for free with an adult!

Once you pay to enter, you get to try all the chowder! It's provided by the restaurants competing. If you get thirsty, drinks are available to buy.

How the Chowder Contest Works

The basic rules for the contest have stayed the same over the years. Everyone who attends gets a special voting ticket. These tickets are color-coded for each category. The categories are:

• Clam Chowder
• Seafood Chowder
• Most Spirited Team (for the chefs' energy!)

Voters then drop their tickets into bins. Each bin belongs to the restaurant or company whose chowder they liked best. The votes are counted about an hour before the event ends. The winners for each category are announced at 6 pm at the event. They are also immediately posted on the Newport Waterfront Events website.