There was something delicious in the air at the Mall at Piccadilly this Saturday, Feb. 24 as the R.J. Haney Heritage Village and Museum put on their 22nd annual Best of the Shuswap Pie Baking Contest.
Over 40 pies were entered under three categories, apple pies, cherry pies and berry pies. Each pie needed to be made 100% from scratch in order to be entered into the contest and it was clear just by looking at them that these were no off-the-shelf bits of baking!
Spectators gathered in droves to make hungry eyes at the scrumptious morsels lining the tables in the mall’s centre court, waiting patiently, or perhaps not-so-patiently, for their chance at tasting a slice of whichever pie caught their eye. Tastings were not available until after the judging and auction had taken place.
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Three prizes were awarded to the top pie bakers in the Shuswap by the end of the judging ceremony. Bertha Norrish took home first prize for her apple pie, Bonnie Peterson snagged second with her cherry pie and Mary Rollier walked away with third prize for her bumbleberry entry.
Those who placed among the top three in previous year’s competitions were invited to submit pies for auction, with proceeds going toward the R.J. Haney Heritage Village and Museum. The 2018 pie auction brought in nearly $50,000 from generous members of the community who were willing to pay extravagant prices knowing that their money was going towards a good cause.
Spectators were able to taste any pie entered into the competition for $2.50 a slice, with proceeds also going to the Heritage Village.
In addition to the pie contest, the Mall at Piccadilly hosted a silent auction and a number of booths where local collectors and museums could display artifacts from the past. There was also a significant display of information surrounding Salmon Arm’s heritage, highlighting significant moments in the town’s history and showcasing many historical photos of the area.
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