Butter Tart Challenge brings a crowd to Sharbot Lake Farmers Market

Craig Bakay | Sep 05, 2018

There were 14 entries with names like Queen of Tarts, Love Made Edible, Bush Bunny Butter Tarts and Tartas del Capitan, but in the end there could be only one winner in the 4th annual Sharbot Lake Farmers Market Butter Tart Challenge at Oso Beach last Saturday.

And that was Tanya Labelle, who won the challenge with Tanny’s Tarts with a top score of 208.

Labelle said her father-in-law was instrumental in persuading her to enter the contest.

“I’ve only been baking butter tarts for about seven years,” she said. “I got the recipe for the pie crust online but the filling is my mother’s recipe.

“I entered last year but didn’t win but I’ll definitely be back next year (to defend her title).”

Speaking of titles, organizer Andrea Duggan said not only does the winner get a $50 cheque, but also the “prestige and title of ‘best butter tart in Frontenac County.’”

Second was the Mapelly Maple Tart submitted by The Maples restaurant and third was the Mommy & Me Mostly Maple Tart submitted by CoriAnne Newlove with scores of 203 and 182 respectively.

Two of the more popular figures at the annual competition were Audrey Bateman and Natsuki Heese, who circulated around the crowd with samples of the tart being judged at the moment.

Hazuki Heese served as the official tallier.

The judges were Martha Merrill, Steve Blight, Anderson Bateman, Dave McNeil and Mike Procter.