Brian of Pizzaspotz
Written by Shawn Randazzo
1. Be prepared
Preparation is key to winning any competition, and the world of competitive pizza-baking is no different. Make sure your pizza recipe is awesome and practice preparing it accurately and quickly. Share your recipe with others and make sure they agree your recipe is amazing.
Set yourself up for success by developing a checklist before you leave. Package your ingredients properly so they won’t spoil or perish during your trip. Take all the utensils, pans, and other pizza baking supplies you’ll need for the competition. Then, double-check your list before you leave and when you arrive to ensure you have all the tools you need to win. Be ready to execute and prepared to win.
2. Know the judging criteria
Each individual competition has its own set of rules and judging criteria, and it’s important to know what those are so you can plan to bake a pizza that’s best-positioned to win. You also need to know how much weight goes into each criteria; for example, 30 percent of your score might be based on presentation, while 25 percent is based on marketability. Other common pizza judging criteria include taste, texture, and ingredient selection.
It’s also a good idea to study past competition winners. For example, in recent years the judges at the American Pizza and Ice Cream Show held in Columbus, Ohio, have leaned toward heftier, meatier pizzas; while judges at the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas have tended to prefer lighter, more creative pizzas. If these trends continue, you would know to take your meat supreme to Columbus and to try a different recipe in Vegas.
3. Be unique, but not shocking
Of course you want to stand out from your competitors, so it’s a good idea to bring what is unique about you to the table. Bake with your own dough recipe, your own signature sauce, and your own processes. Don’t be afraid to bake your house specialty pizza; it is your specialty, after all. Do what you’re best at.
That being said, you might want to shy away from introducing uncommon ingredients some judges might find shocking. So while baking your Tangy BBQ Chicken Pizza might be a good bet, you’ll probably want to save your cicada and eel pizza recipes for your niche customers.
4. Be confident
Easier said than done, I know, but if you properly prepare and know the judging criteria, you can be confident knowing you’re going to put your best effort forward and limit any mistakes. Understand that no one is biased and be confident in your product; you have the same exact chance of winning as the next pizza chef. When I won in Vegas, I put the competition out of my head and didn’t question whether what I was doing would work. I simply determined to bake my pizza as I always do, which allowed me to become very poised and get “in the zone.” You want to create the same vibe.
5. Have fun
Most importantly, have fun at the competition. Try not to stress out or be nervous; rather, have pride in your pizza and let your passion show. Never take a competition too seriously; judging is subjective, after all. I go into every competition with the intent of having a good time, enjoying the opportunity to learn new ideas, and getting to meet some very cool people who share my passion for pizza. Do the same, and at the very least you’re bound to win some outstanding new friends.
Shawn Randazzo is president of Detroit Style Pizza Co. and won the title of World Champion Pizza Maker at the 2012 International Pizza Expo. Shawn consults pizzerias to help them start and operate their own successful businesses. His mission is to make sure everyone gets a taste of Authentic Detroit Style Pizza.