194. Behind the Judges’ Curtain at International Pizza Challenge

The Hot Slice

This week on The Hot Slice Podcast we are going behind the judges’ curtain at this year’s International Pizza Challenge at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. Jeremy and Denise get the inside scoop on IPC judging from longtime judges Hassi Sadri, Scott Wiener and Scott Anthony.

The International Pizza Challenge has long been the premier pizza competition and it’s getting even better. IPC has always held high standards and code of ethics for judging. This year, judging has become even more transparent. Our three esteemed guests outline new initiatives to aid in transparency and training the 50 judges who will evaluate entries to help them be on the same page and make sure that every pizza is judged fairly and consistently.

Pizza Expo will host nearly 500 competitors. The International Pizza Challenge consists of 5 divisions: Traditional, Non-Traditional, Neapolitan/STG, Pan, & World’s Best Cheese Slice. The International Italian Sandwich Competition returns. Partner competitions include the California-Style Competition, hosted by the California Milk Advisory Board; Ooni Pizza Throwdown, hosted by Ooni; and Plant-Based Competition, hosted by Daiya.

Special thanks to Michael LaMarca, Jeremy Galvin and the team at Master Pizza who runs IPC and show director Bill Oakley for their continued efforts and improvements to the competitions.

Learn more about the International Pizza Challenge at https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/giveaway-rules-regulations/international-pizza-challenge/

Read more about the Rules and Regulations for Competitors at https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2024-IPC-Rules-and-Regs_FINAL.pdf