The contest was created to celebrate the Cleveland bakery’s 150th anniversary and give Orlando fans an opportunity to share their favorite sandwich recipes.
CLEVELAND (Oct. 28, 2022) – Orlando Baking Co., a leading Northeast Ohio bakery that balances Old-World style with New-World innovation, today announced the winners of its first annual “Great American Sandwich Search” contest. Two-hundred-and-thirty-three sandwich recipes were entered in the contest, making the selection of the grand prize winner extremely challenging. Contest winners included:
Andrea Ward of Chagrin Falls was the $1,500 grand prize winner for her “Oktoberfest Sandwich,” which was also selected as the “Best Culturally Inspired Sandwich.” Made on Orlando Deli Rye Bread, the sandwich featured a fried pork cutlet, potato dumplings, muenster cheese, red cabbage, and German mustard.
Len Merriman of Mentor won $150 as the “Best Sandwich for Sports Fans” category winner for his “Original Hot Italian Sub.” Made on an Orlando Steak & Sausage Roll, this sandwich featured ham, salami, pepperoni, capocollo, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, banana peppers, provolone cheese and mayonnaise.
Michelle Kusma of Columbus earned a $150 prize as the “Best Grilled Cheese with a Twist” category winner for her “Egg in a Hole Grilled Cheese Sandwich.” Made on Orlando Deli Italian Bread, her sandwich featured eggs, muenster cheese, Roma tomato, baby arugula, and salt.
Katie Treblas of Cuyahoga Falls got $150 as the “Best Breakfast Sandwich” category winner for her “Breakfast in Bread Sandwich.” Orlando English Muffins served as the base of this sandwich, which also included Lou’s chorizo sausage, avocado, eggs, sharp yellow cheese, Lou’s summer peppers, salt, and pepper.
Mary Shivers of Ada, Okla. earned $150 as the “Best Plant-Based Sandwich” category winner for her “Marvelous Mushroom Burger.” Served on an Orlando Brioche Bun, this sandwich featured sliced button mushrooms, onion, garlic, seasoned salt, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and vegan cheddar and Parmesan-style cheese.
The contest gave loyal Orlando Baking Co. fans across the country and all residents of Northeast Ohio an opportunity to share their favorite ways to enjoy Orlando products.
“Without our loyal customers like Andrea, Len, Michelle, Katie, and Mary, we wouldn’t be celebrating 150 years in business,” said John Anthony Orlando, president and CEO of Orlando Baking Co. “The ‘Great American Sandwich Search’ was our way to reach out to our fans to say thank you and let them show us their culinary creativity. As anyone in this region knows, the best sandwiches always start with Orlando bread, buns, or rolls.”
“We’re thankful for the hundreds of wonderful people who joined in our search for the “Great American Sandwich,’” said Orlando. “The rich tradition and cultural diversity of this region resulted in some amazing sandwich options to choose from. Naturally, if the sandwiches are the best in Northeast Ohio, we think they’re also the best in America.”
Each entrant received a coupon worth $1.50 off any Orlando Baking Co. product.
A select panel of five Northeast Ohio celebrity judges helped determine the category winner, and the Orlando Baking Co. team conducted a taste test at the bakery to determine the grand prize winner. The judges were Derek Ivancic, executive chef at JACK Cleveland Casino; Jen Picciano, WOIO-TV reporter and co-host of the “Mark Nolan Show” on WMJI-105.7 FM; Dillon Stewart, editor of Cleveland Magazine; Bill Wills, a podcaster and radio talk show host of Cleveland’s “Morning News with Wills and Snyder,” and Ricky Smith, comedian, writer, and founder of RAKE (Random Acts of Kindness Everywhere).
The winning recipes will be available on Orlando social media channels so everyone can enjoy these Great American sandwiches.
Orlando Baking Co. has been a Northeast Ohio favorite for decades. The bakery is known for balancing its original, Old-World style with New-World innovations that keep it adding new product after new product. As Orlando celebrates its 150th anniversary throughout 2022, the bakery also celebrates its tradition of doing things the right way with its slow baking process, smaller batches, traditional European style, state-of-the-art equipment, and on-trend flexibility. Orlando’s first-to-market innovations include ciabatta bread in 1987 and probiotic bread in 2011.
Headquartered in Cleveland, Orlando Baking Co. is a leading bakery producing more than 250 varieties of fresh and frozen hearth-baked bread, rolls, and specialty items. The fifth-generation family business is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2022. Founded in Castel di Sangro, Italy in 1872, part of the family moved to Cleveland in 1904 and re-established Old-World ways of baking European classics. The company’s signature ciabatta bread is a staple on menus across the United States, along with its variety of specialty breads and rolls. Orlando’s ever-expanding product line recently grew with the addition of a protein bread line. For additional information about Orlando Baking Co., visit www.orlandobaking.com.
