Beth Royals has been passionate about cooking and baking for as long as she can remember. Her parents encouraged her participation in the kitchen and she made the association early on that cooking for others is an act of love and the best way she knew to give of herself. She began baking with her 4 year old son and as a result stumbled upon an ad for a “Cooking with Kids” contest. When she won the grand prize in early 2002 she was immediately hooked on contesting. “I’d always enjoyed developing my own recipes and experimenting with different taste/texture combinations, so I felt contesting might be a good fit.”

NOTABLE WINS:

2002

Grand Prize, Gilroy Garlic Festival Cook-Off – $1,000

Finalist/Brand Prize Winner, Southern Living Cook-Off – $1,000/$1,000

Grand Prize, Nick Jr. Magazine’s Cooking with Kids Contest

Grand Prize, Carr’s Cookie Contest

Finalist, America’s Greatest Cheese Lover Contest

Grand Prize, Richmond Times-Dispatch Deviled Egg Contest;

1st Place, Keebler’s Top-it-and-Win Contest – Refrigerator

Grand Prize, Baker’s Chocolate Contest

Grand Prize, Richmond Times-Dispatch Perfect Pound Cake Contest

Grand Prize, Ukrop’s Supermarket Holiday Recipe Contest – $500

Third Place, Child Magazine’s Cookie Contest

2003

Grand Prize, Quaker Oats Search for the Ultimate Oatmeal Cookie – $6,000

Grand Prize, French’s Crunch & Say Cheese – Digital Camera

Honorable mentions (2), GoldKist Farms Chicken

Finalist, McCormick “Blend to Win” Contest

Runner-up, 2003 & 2004 Nestle Chocolate/ Betters Homes Contest

2004

Finalist, Pillsbury Bake-Off

Grand Prize, Redwood Creek Local Flavors of America Cook-Off – $25,000

Quarterly Finalist, 2004 & 2005 Mama Mary’s Pizza – Espresso Maker

2005

Finalist National Chicken Cook-Off

Finalist, National Beef Cook-Off

Grand Prize, Emeril’s/Good Morning America – Trip to NYC

Grand Prize, Cooking Pleasures Magazine Quick & Easy Entrees Contest – $5,000

Runner-up, Taste of Home Quick n’ Easy Contest

2006

Finalist, Pillsbury Bake-Off

Finalist, Wearever Bakeware Wackiest Cookie parent/child Cook-Off

Semi-finalist, Edward’s Pies

2007

Grand Prize, Crisco Country Cook-Off – $10,000

1st Place, Family Circle 75th Anniversary Recipe Contest – $1,000

Finalist,  Very Vidalia Recipe Contest

Finalist, Ultimate Krispy Kreme Doughnut Recipe Contest

2008

Finalist, Cake-Mate “Mother of all Bake Sales” Contest – $1,000 & $1,000 to charity

Honorable Mention, Betty Crocker Cookie Contest

Finalist, Lucky Leaf Cook-off – Trip to Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen

2009

Grand Prize Winner, Terlato Wines “Napa Holiday” Contest – Trip to Napa

Finalist, French’s Fried Onion Contest

2010

Grand Prize, Bass Pecan – $1,000

Finalist, Hungary Jack Use Up the Box Contest

Grand Prize, Belle Chevre – Trip to Belle Chevre Creamery

Runner Up, National Oyster Festival

Finalist, Good Housekeeping Cook Your Heart Out Cook-off

Finalist, National Cornbread Festival

2011

Finalist, Kozy Shack Recipe Showdown

Runner Up, National Oyster Festival

2012

Grand Prize, Richmond Magazine – Richmond Cooks with C.F. Sauer Cook-off

2014

Pillsbury Bake-Off $1,000,000 Grand Prize winner!

FAVORITE PRIZE: “My favorite trip was to the Gilroy Garlic Festival where I was able to see my sister who lives on the west coast. My favorite prize was a glass cake dome with a hand-painted saying on it from an interview I’d done with our local food editor: ‘Life is like a piece of cake, even when it’s bad, it’s good'”.

ADVICE: “Take a look at past winning recipes for a particular sponsor and analyze what they all have in common. Do the titles have a gourmet ring and include complex ingredients or do they lean toward homestyle recipes with minimal steps/ingredients? Don’t be let down if you don’t win. In the worst case you may have come up with a dish that will become a family favorite for years to come.”

FORUM NICKNAME: Beth Royals