For the third year, Red Robin, which was recently named one of the “10 Best Family Restaurant Chains” by Parents magazine, is providing kids ages six through 12 the opportunity to share their culinary skills through “The Next Gourmet Burger Kids’ Recipe Contest.” Kids can submit their gourmet burger recipes and 100-word statements about why their burger deserves to be America’s next gourmet burger from July 1 to August 10, 2008, at their local Red Robin restaurant or online at www.redrobin.com.
From the thousands of kid-invented recipe entries received from aspiring kid chefs across the country through “The Next Gourmet Burger Kids’ Recipe Contest,” approximately 50 recipes will be chosen for inclusion in a cookbook sold online at www.redrobin.com for $5 to benefit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) in 2009. In addition to being featured in the kids’ cookbook, the grand prize winning burger will be sold at all participating U.S. Red Robin restaurants in 2009 to benefit NCMEC.
“’The Next Gourmet Burger Kids’ Recipe Contest’ was specifically designed to encourage families to spend more time together doing something fun, like cooking, and to promote kids getting creative in the kitchen by inventing their own gourmet burger recipes,” says Susan Lintonsmith, Red Robin chief marketing officer. “Because Red Robin is all about kids and families, we are excited to encourage our younger guests to once again use their culinary creativity to invent America’s next gourmet burger.”
In last year’s contest, peaches, artichokes, honey, pesto, and chow mein noodles were just a few of the gourmet ingredients kids suggested for America’s next gourmet burger. The “Au Brie Burger a la Francais,” created by 12-year-old Joey Yarwick from San Diego, California, was named the winner of the second annual contest in November, 2007.
Yarwick’s winning burger is made with ground sirloin, brie cheese, au gratin potatoes, fresh rosemary, salt, and pepper. All participating U.S. Red Robin restaurants will serve a burger inspired by Yarwick’s “Au Brie Burger a la Francais” from July 1 to Aug. 10, 2008. For every “Au Brie Burger a la Francais” sold, Red Robin will donate 50 cents to NCMEC.
To select the grand prize winning burger in this year’s contest, 10 semi-finalists will be invited to Denver, Colorado, in December 2008 to compete in “The Next Gourmet Burger Kids’ Recipe Contest” Championship where they will make their burger for a panel of Red Robin judges and local celebrities. During the competition, three runners-up and a grand prize winner will be selected.
All 10 semi-finalists will receive a trip to Colorado for the event with an accompanying parent or guardian, a $100 Red Robin gift card, and a Red Robin iPod as prizes. In addition to the grand prize winner’s gourmet burger being featured in every participating U.S. Red Robin restaurant and in a kids’ cookbook in 2009, the grand prize winner will receive a family vacation to Universal Orlando Resort and will be invited to act as a special guest judge at Red Robin’s team member Smiling Burger Championship event held in January 2009 in Southern California.
