Nothing chilly about this cook-off in Norway Bay

July 17, 2018

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The Equity

The Big Chili took place at the Centennial Hall in Norway Bay on Saturday, where chilis and desserts were judged, and horseshoes thrown at the mish-mash of competitions. From left: The chili judges included Darren Hamilton, Jill Mathers and Ken Bernard, while Ethan Fraser, Jack Mathers and Ethan McFadden were charged with testing out the desserts.

The event celebrated 10 years on Saturday and featured trophies for each category. From left: Will Mathers receives the trophy for best chili from NBMA social director Paul Fraser for his concoction of “The Good One.”

Donald Teuma-Castelletti
NORWAY BAY July 14, 2018
Saturday evening in Norway Bay was a mash-up of contests across three categories as an annual event celebrated it’s 10th year.
The Big Chili, a horseshoe tournament, chili cook-off and dessert competition, took over the Centennial Hall on July 14, where folks duked it out in all three feats to take home the 2018 titles.
Paul Fraser, the social director for the Norway Bay Municipal Association (NBMA), said the event is a great fundraiser for the group, while offering fun for everyone involved.
Inside the hall, a variety of chilis and desserts would sit, awaiting a taste test from a panel of three judges per division.

The chili cook-off was the event that started it all, he explained, and has continued to be a popular event every year, especially as the younger generations join the fun.
“It’s great, it gets the kids involved and inspires some mini chefs,” continued Fraser.
All the food would sit in the Centennial Hall, with only the names of the dishes attached to each one. A panel of three judges per category would then dive in, blindly voting depending on the reaction of their taste buds.
This year’s judges for the chili included Ken Bernard, Jill Mathers and Darren Hamilton, while Ethan McFadden, Jack Mathers and Ethan Fraser judged the desserts.
With their expert opinions, Will Mathers’ “The Good One” chili would ring true to it’s name, with Ally Mahoney, Shannon Mahoney and Olivia McGahern’s “I Want S’More” earning them the trophy for best dessert.
On the horseshoe side of things, games were slow to start, but got going soon after bellies had a healthy layer of chili resting in them. This year participants were slow to sign up and thirteen pairs were matched up randomly to compete together into the evening.
Usually, the event would see a stronger turnout, but numbers seemed down this year, something Paul blames the overwhelming heat for. Having spent too much time in the sun himself, setting up the site and digging in the horseshoe stakes, he couldn’t blame folks for deciding to hide out from the sun.

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