Recipe Challenge Deadline Extended
Award Winning “Recipe Challenge” Returning to State Fair

The second annual West Virginia Recipe Challenge will be held on Saturday, August 18, at the State Fair of West Virginia. Entrants in the competition compete for over $10,000 in goods and services to help launch their food product as an actual business. Because of overwhelming public enthusiasm towards the Recipe Challenge, the deadline for entries has been extended. Potential contestants will now have until July 27 to enter their recipes into the Challenge.

This competition debuted last year as a chance for emerging entrepreneurs who have dreamed of taking their home-cooked product to the grocery store shelf. Thanks to the success of last year’s Recipe Challenge, the State Fair was recently awarded the Outstanding New or Unique Class of Competitive Exhibits Award at the International Association of Fairs and Expositions Convention in Las Vegas.

“We’re thrilled with the response to last year’s Recipe Challenge,” said Stacy Turner of West Virginia State University Extension, who initiated the idea for the contest. “Our winners are doing great now, and we’re looking forward to a bigger and better event this year.”

Response was tremendous for the event’s first year, with winner Darrell Vowell launching his own business, Cowboy Cook’n Company, after winning the competition’s new entrepreneur category with his barbeque sauce. A second category for existing entrepreneurs is part of the competition as well.

Prizes include recipe refinement, packaging design, label development, nutritional panel creation, technical assistance, production time in a commercial kitchen, product marketing, and more.

The West Virginia Recipe Challenge is a collaboration of West Virginia State University Extension, the State Fair of West Virginia, Mountain Bounty Kitchen, Opening Soon Inc., Tamarack, and the West Virginia Department of Agriculture.

Contestants must register for the 2007 competition by 4:30 PM on July 27. Registration forms, category definitions, and more information about the contest are available online at www.statefairofwv.com or by calling Stacy Turner at (304) 466-7113.