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 Billie Mochow from Burns, Tennessee
has been named the Grand Prize winner of the 2008 National Gingerbread House Competition at The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa in Asheville, N.C. A field of seven judges deliberated for more than six hours on Monday to determine the winners among four categories: Adult, Teen 13-17 and Youth 9 to 12 and Child 8 and under. More than 600 spectators watched the judging process in the resort's Grand Ballroom.
The First Place Adult was awarded to Suzanne Kanaly of Liberty Township, Ohio. Other first-place winners included Patterson and Peyton Young from Weaverville, North Carolina in the Teen age group, Emily Spafford from Maryville, Tennessee in the Youth category and Lydia Gentry from Hendersonville, North Carolina in the Child category. There were a total of 124 Youth, 73 Teen and 203 Adult entries in the 17th Annual National Gingerbread House Competition. As always, judging the creative creations was difficult and the proof was in the judge's final tallies. Mochow won the grand prize by a mere two points in a close battle for the coveted grand prize. In fact, the judges were forced to award a tie for the adult fourth place winners. "I'm so excited and proud," said Billie Mochow. "I thought I reached the top when I won first place in 2007." "Mochow's creative and unique entry exhibited was an example of perfection exhibiting incredible attention to detail." Said Judge Nicholas Lodge, owner of the International Sugar Arts Collection School in Atlanta, Georgia. As the Grand Prize winner, she won $3,000. cash plus a Club Floor Package for two which includes two nights' accommodations on The Grove Park Inn's Club Floor, dinner for two in the AAA four diamond award winning Horizons Restaurant and breakfast each morning. The 2008 National Gingerbread House Competition display and holiday decorations will be open for community viewing Monday through Thursday from November 19, 2008 through January 4, 2009. Overnight Resort guests as well as those dining at the Resort's restaurants or enjoying the lounges are invited to view the displays at any time. The Grove Park Inn also partners with downtown Asheville's historic Grove Arcade to honor thirty-five entries. Thirty-five houses were selected by Grove Park Inn's Floral & visual Design Manger Royce Wilson. The Grove Arcade, one of Asheville's architectural jewels, was envisioned by E.W. Grove, the creator of the Grove Park Inn. Mochow's winning entry and selected other winners will be removed from The Grove Park Inn display during the week of December 22 as the resort transports them to New York City for its eleventh straight appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Wednesday, December 24th. Special maps will be available for resort guests and visitors so they can see where each of the displays is located throughout the Resort. The youth, teen and adult top ten winners will be located on the lobby levels of the Sammons and Vanderbilt wings. Seven judges had the very tough job of determining this year's winning entries including Chef Aaron Morgan, The Grove Park Inn's Executive Pastry Chef; Chef Nick Lodge (Atlanta, GA), founder, The International Sugar Art Collection; Nadine Orenstein (New York), curator Department of Arts and Drawings, Metropolitan Museum of Art; Chef Steven Stellingwerf (Sioux Falls, SD), author of "The Gingerbread Book;" Gerry Hempel-Davis (Richmond, VA), travel writer; Chef Colette Peters (New York), owner of Colette's Cakes and Chef Mark Seaman (Chicago, IL), owner of Marked For Dessert. Jill Cordes (New York), host of "Best Of" on Food Network, "My First Place" on HGTV and "Brighter Living" served as master of ceremonies. The Grove Park Inn overlooks Asheville's skyline and the Blue Ridge mountains. Built in 1913, the Inn is on the National Register of Historic Places and a member of Historic Hotels of America. Amenities include a world-class Spa, Club Floor, Donald Ross golf course, tennis, swimming, Sports Complex, shops, fine dining and children's programs. For more information on the National Gingerbread House Competition and Display, go to www.groveparkinn.com or call (800) 413-5778. (Images provided by the Grove Park Inn.)
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