Tyson Foods to Sponsor East Texas Poultry Festival Chicken Cooking Contest

September 11, 2015The East Texas Poultry Festival Chicken Cooking Contest, sponsored by Tyson Foods, features creative and delicious chicken dishes. The 2015 contest will be held Wednesday, September 23, immediately following the Doo Dah Parade, sponsored by Center Tire Co., on the Historic Downtown Center Square with judging at 5:00 p.m. Participants will need to be set up and ready to go before judging begins. In the event of bad weather the location will move to the active Shelby County Courthouse community room.

Chicken Cooking Contest Co-Chairpersons are Denise Merriman and Natalie Oswalt. There will be three categories for competition—Adult, Youth and Professional--with a $100.00 prize for 1st place in each category, $50.00 for second and $25.00 for third place. The chicken cooking contest recipe deadline is Wednesday, September 16, 2015. The recipes are to be emailed to info@shelbycountychamber.com, mailed or delivered to the Chamber of Commerce office.

There will also be a People’s Choice Award and Best Dressed Table Award. Contestants will be provided with approximately 36 inches of covered presentation area to decorate. Participants are asked to prepare their recipe to create 25-30 sample size servings and bring serving utensils. This year contestants have a choice of bringing prepared dishes or cooking outdoors in a tailgate fashion, but all judged dishes will be exhibited in the presentation tent. Electricity will not be provided so an alternative fuel source must be used-- for example, chafing dishes, battery operated appliances, etc. Participants must be set up before the Doo Dah Parade in order to maintain the time schedule. All participants must have some type of cover for their dish.

Once the judging is completed the area will be opened for a sample tasting to attendees for $5.00 per person. Chicken Cooking Contest Recipe books will be available for $2.00. Chicken must be the main ingredient of the recipe. Recipes must be submitted to the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce Office by Wednesday, September 16 by 4:00 p.m. to be included in the cookbook. Recipes may be mailed or delivered to the Chamber office at 100 Courthouse Square, A-101, Center, Texas 75935 or emailed to info@shelbycountychamber.com. For more information call the Chamber at 598-3682.

The 39th East Texas Poultry Festival is presented by Farmers State Bank and sponsored by the City of Center, Drewery Construction and Tyson Foods. Gold sponsors for the Chicken Cooking Contest are K & L Contractors and Triple J Feed.