Seafood Fanatic Hooks $10,000 in Fourth Annual Old Bay(R) Peel & Eat Shrimp Classic
Seafood Fanatic Hooks $10,000 in Fourth Annual Old Bay(R) Peel & Eat Shrimp Classic
Winner Devours 89 Shrimp in 10 Minutes to Net the Grand Prize
HUNT VALLEY, Md., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Shells were flying today as some of America's fastest fingers and mouths faced off in the fourth annual Old Bay(R) Peel & Eat Shrimp Classic. Eric Jones, of Hobe Sound, Fla., reeled in the title of America's biggest seafood lover and Old Bay fan, netting the $10,000 grand prize by consuming 89 shrimp in 10 minutes. The competition was held in Baltimore, the birthplace of Old Bay seasoning.
"I guess it's true that slow and steady wins the race," said Jones, who will donate a portion of his winnings to disaster relief efforts in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.
Finalists from across the country peeled and ate their way through more than 1,000 Old Bay-seasoned shrimp -- that's about 50 pounds of the tasty crustaceans. Other finalists in the Old Bay Peel & Eat Shrimp Classic included: Roger Bono, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Warren Harbison, Little Rock, Ark.; Pamela Peterson, Cashmere, Wash.; Aaron Pfeil, Anchorage, Alaska; Kenneth Reid, Green Oak, Mich.; Shannon Soper, West Bend, Wis.; Victor Washington, Easton, Pa.; and Toot Youngblud, Baltimore.
As part of the festivities, Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley proclaimed September 2, 2005, Old Bay Seasoning Day.
"In its fourth year now, the Classic is becoming a Labor Day tradition," said Laurie Harrsen, director of public relations for Old Bay. "It's a fun way to recognize people's love for seafood."
Contestants were chosen based on essays they wrote explaining their passion for seafood and their favorite ways of enjoying Old Bay seasoning. Entries were judged on creativity, persuasiveness, and originality of Old Bay usage. Semi-finalists then competed in regional peel and eat shrimp competitions across the country to advance to the national final.
For more than 60 years, Old Bay seasoning has been an indispensable part of mid-Atlantic cooking. The secret ingredient in a variety of seafood dishes, this blend of more than a dozen herbs and spices has since developed a loyal following across the country. For more information on the Old Bay Peel & Eat Shrimp Classic, visit http://www.old-bay.com/, or call 1-800-MEAL-TIP (1-800-632-5847).
Source: Old Bay
CONTACT: Amanda Hirschhorn of Hunter Public Relations, +1-212-679-6825,
cell +1-914-475-4074, ahirschhorn@hunterpr.com; or Laurie Harrsen of McCormick
& Company, Inc., +1-410-527-8753, laurie_harrsen@mccormick.com, both for Old
Bay
Web site: http://www.old-bay.com/
NOTE TO EDITORS: High resolution, publication-ready photo available for editorial use at: http://www.newscastonline.com/media Key words: search under Old Bay Peel & Eat Shrimp Classic Eric Jones, of Hobe Sound, Fla., proved that he is America's biggest seafood lover, devouring 89 Shrimp in 10 minutes and capturing the $10,000 grand prize in the fourth annual Old Bay Peel and Eat Shrimp Classic. Jones triumphed over eight other seafood lovers from around the country at the contest in Baltimore, on Friday, September 2, 2005.
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