Bojangles’ named the winners of the 2014 Master Biscuit Maker Challenge, the annual tradition that brings together team members from across the Southeast to compete for the honor of being named one of the best master biscuit makers from more than 600 Bojangles’ restaurants. Following the final round of competition held November 11–13 at the Bojangles’ test kitchen in Charlotte, North Carolina, Travis Squire of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was named Master Biscuit Maker from Bojangles’ company-owned restaurants. Edith Chavez of Yadkinville, North Carolina, earned this year’s title for Bojangles’ franchised locations.
“Bojangles’ is committed to honoring traditional Southern recipes and our annual Master Biscuit Maker Challenge is a great example of our dedication to staying true to our original biscuit-making process,” says Bojangles’ president and CEO Clifton Rutledge. “Our founders created our delicious biscuit recipe back in 1977 and our biscuit makers, including this year’s Master Biscuit Maker champions, have been serving our ‘biscuit magic’ to our loyal customers ever since.”
Now in its 18th year, Bojangles’ Master Biscuit Maker Challenge judges each certified biscuit maker’s ability to adhere to Bojangles’ 48-step biscuit recipe—which does not include the use of water, freezers, or microwaves—taking into account the size, shape, and time it takes to complete the process without sacrificing quality. Master Biscuit Maker finalists, including eight finalists from company-owned locations and nine from franchised restaurants, are those who have earned the highest scores out of hundreds of Bojangles’ biscuit makers at the individual restaurant, area, and regional levels of competition. This year’s finalists included:
· Maria Cabrera from the Bojangles’ at 5628 Fulton Industrial Blvd. in Atlanta
· Edith Chavez from the Bojangles’ at 624 S. State St. in Yadkinville, North Carolina
· Leah Harlow from the Bojangles’ at 555 W. Roosevelt Blvd. in Monroe, North Carolina
· Kendra Ledbetter from the Bojangles’ at 20430 Virgil H. Goode Hwy. in Rocky Mount, Virginia
· Sonia Lewis from the Bojangles’ at 3737 High Point Rd. in Greensboro, North Carolina
· Carolyn McKindra from the Bojangles’ at 1836 Tiny Town Rd. in Clarksville, Tennessee
· Ricky McQuillar from the Bojangles’ at 846 S. Irby St. in Florence, South Carolina
· Nicholas Nolan from the Bojangles’ at 7661 Raeford Rd. in Fayetteville, North Carolina
· Marcelina Ramirez from the Bojangles’ at 7155 Market St. in Wilmington, North Carolina
· Travis Roebuck from the Bojangles’ at 211 N. Main St. in Boiling Springs, North Carolina
· Chris Sellers from the Bojangles’ at 734 Champion Dr. in Canton, North Carolina
· Andrea Simpson from the Bojangles’ at 310 Springdale Dr. in Clinton, South Carolina
· Nikki Smalls from the Bojangles’ at 109 Robert Smalls Pkwy. in Beaufort, South Carolina
· Travis Squire from the Bojangles’ at 1535 Peters Creek Pkwy. in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
· Mary Stanley from the Bojangles’ at 1158 International Dr. in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
· Chandrea Stephens from the Bojangles’ at 31 Holmes Dr. in Oxford, Alabama
· Amber Ware from the Bojangles’ at 123 Elbert St. in Elberton, Georgia
As the winners of the 2014 Master Biscuit Maker Challenge, Squire and Chavez are each presented a coveted Master Biscuit Maker trophy and cash prize of $2,500. Each of the finalists in this year’s competition received a trophy and a $250 cash prize.
Trained and certified biscuit makers, including those in this year’s Master Biscuit Maker Challenge, help to serve Bojangles’ breakfast menu, including biscuits, all day, every day starting no later than 5:30 a.m. Bojangles’ biscuits are made by hand using fat-free buttermilk and baked fresh in an oven every 20 minutes.
