Shiela Page of Paso Robles was the first-place winner

NORTH COUNTY — Thursday night, July 28, at the California Mid-State Fair (CMSF), apple pie makers from all over the county headed to the Ponderosa Pavilion at 6 p.m. to try their hand at winning Best Apple Pie on the Central Coast.

The Apple Pie Contest is a yearly event at the California Mid-State Fair and one of the more popular contests proudly sponsored by Visit Atascadero and The City of Atascadero.

“They were the [event] sponsor, [and] helped provide prize money. [They also] integrated into the contest via judges,” said CMSF spokesperson Tom Keffury of Visit Atascadero’s involvement in the competition.

This year’s contest had the most entries the fair has ever seen, with over 39 of the area’s best bakers whipping up delicious apple pies and placing them in front of the judges to see who would come out on top.

This year’s Apple Pie Contest had five judges, including Atascadero City Council Mayor Pro Tem Heather Newsom, Emilie Goldstein from Atascadero’s Bramble Pie Co., Alicia and Ian Denchasy from A-Town Humble Pie, and the Dohertys from Carndonagh Kitchen of Atascadero. 

On their Facebook page, Carndonagh Kitchen stated: 

“Honored to be asked to be a judge in the apple pie contest at the California Mid-State Fair. Was a lot of fun, and was happy to see how many people entered a pie. Love where I live!”

Three pies and their makers won big this year, with Shiela Page of Paso Robles taking first place, Barbara Edman of Atascadero taking second place, and Sarah Johnson of Oceano rounding out the top three in third place.

In total, $850 was given out to the top three pie bakers, with $500 going to first place, $250 to second, and $100 to third place.

This year’s delicious pies were judged on multiple categories, including the pie’s fillings, their crust’s consistency, and the overall taste of the pies. 

“Congratulations to the winners. A special thank you to our judges for representing Atascadero too. It’s not easy to judge over 39 pies,” said the City of Atascadero on its Facebook page.