California Raisin Marketing Board Announces Winners of

Introducing the 2008 winners…

Co-grand prize winners in the artisan category include Luminita Cirstea, Bennison's Bakery, Evanston, Ill., for her Raisin Rye Bread and Lionel Vatinet, LaFarm Bakery, Raleigh, N.C., for his Raisin Vanilla Bean Torsade. Taking top honors in the commercial category was Patrick Finney, Roman Meal Bread, Seattle, Wash., for his Salsa Latina Raisin Bread.

Additional prize winners in the artisan category, include:

• Judges prize: Larry Lobe, Dawn Foods, Phoenix, Ariz., California Raisin Harvest Bread
• Ideas prize: Co-winners Anthony Sapia, Gemelli Bakers, State College, Pa., Breakfast in BrEaD and Michael Vande Walle, Uncle Mike's Bakery Shoppe, Green Bay, Wis., Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread

Additional prize winners in the commercial category, include:

• Judges prize: Co-winners Henk Balk, Utopia Bakery, San Luis Obispo, Calif., Dutch Mueslibread “Musliknar,” and Blake Gunter, Flowers Foods, Atlanta, Ga., Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread
• Ideas Prize: Co-winners Eric Spelger, Caravan Ingredients, Kansas City, Mo., Raisin Twirled Cinnamon Bread and Brian Carson, Alpha Baking, Chicago, Ultimate Orange Raisin Bread

All 20 finalists received medals with the top-ten winners also receiving engraved plaques and a trip to California in 2009 to tour California Raisin country, wine regions and the San Francisco Bay Area.

With the tremendous response and innovative recipes entered into the contest debut, the California Raisin Marketing Board is delighted to congratulate our amazing winners and their delicious recipes that feature California Raisins in unique, delicious and interesting new ways.

"Each of the bakers in the competition represented superior talent in terms of quality, baking innovation and commercial value," said Larry Blagg, senior vice president of marketing, California Raisin Marketing Board. "The purpose of the contest was to discover the best California Raisin Breads in North America and to recognize outstanding bakers and recipes that are relevant in today's real-world baking industry — judging by the taste and appeal of the winning entries — it was mission accomplished."

For the press release and additional details about this year's contest, please click here

Grand prize winners, Luminita Cirstea of Bennison’s Bakery in Evanston, Ill., Lionel Vatinet, LaFarm Bakery in Raleigh, N.C., and Patrick Finney of Roman Meal Bread in Seattle, Wash., share smiles after taking top honors in America’s Best Raisin Bread Contest.

America’s Best Raisin Bread Contest contestants, judges and California Raisin Marketing Board staff at the American Institute of Baking in Manhattan, Kan. Contest winners represented superior baking talent from coast to coast.

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• Artisan Category Winners
• Commercial Category Winners

California Raisins Announce Finalists in the First Annual

On September 12, 2008, The California Raisin Marketing Board completed the preliminary judging for the First Annual "America's Best Raisin Bread Contest".

The 20 finalists chosen will journey to the American Institute of Baking in Manhattan, Kansas, to bake their formulas for a panel of distinguished judges from both the artisan and commercial baking worlds on October 11, 2008. Five prizes will be awarded in both the Artisan and Commercial bread categories.

Congratulations to the following 20 finalists:

California Raisins have been an integral part of the baking industry worldwide for more than 50 years. Our 3,500 growers seek to recognize and reward the creativity of America's professional bakers, encourage new product development, and let consumers know of the almost endless varieties of baked products that can be made with the best-selling all-natural dried fruit in the world — California Raisins.