Isabelle Reyes of St. Louis, Missouri, was crowned the best Hardee’s biscuit maker in the nation. The restaurant chain recently held its National Biscuit Baking Championship on April 14 at its corporate headquarters in St. Louis, featuring more than 600 biscuit makers from across 16 different states.
The competitors were given 15 minutes to prepare and bake three trays of biscuits, which were evaluated on factors such as weight, diameter, height, and appearance; the biscuit maker with the highest overall score was declared the winner. Reyes, who works at the Lund Brown–franchised Hardee’s on Lackland Road in St. Louis, was awarded both a trophy and cash prize of $1,000 for winning the competition.
“All of us at Hardee’s want to not only congratulate Isabelle on her tremendous accomplishment, but also thank her for helping to continue the Hardee’s legacy of having the best biscuits around,” says Eric Williams, chief operating officer for Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurants. “Every morning, dedicated biscuit makers like Isabelle come in bright and early to bake our iconic Made From Scratch Biscuits by hand—that’s why they’re the best in the business, and the most delicious, hands down. If Isabelle makes the best biscuits at Hardee’s, we’re confident that she makes the best biscuits in the nation, to boot. Congratulations, Isabelle, and thank you for all of your hard work!”
“Made From Scratch Biscuits have always been a game changer for us and that’s why this competition is such a huge event,” says Tom Trotter, operating partner for Lund Brown Enterprises. “These biscuit makers have literally spent months training and in competition to reach this point. Only the best of the best make it to this prestigious level. Congratulations to all the finalists and especially Isabelle for taking the crown.”
In addition to being available as stand-alone menu items, Hardee’s Made From Scratch Biscuits are also used in popular breakfast offerings such as the Smoked Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit; the Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit; and the Southern classic, Biscuit ‘N’ Gravy, each available at participating restaurants nationwide.