Jodi Stiltner of Newport, TN was recently named the winner of Food City’s Fourth Annual Cake Decorating Challenge.  

Cake decorators from throughout the regional supermarket chain were invited to participate in the contest.  The winners were selected at the company’s annual Food City Food Show in Knoxville, TN.  Day one of the competition, the contestants were given six hours to create their award winning designs.  Each contender was required to create a minimum of one full sheet cake, one half sheet cake, a 6 pack cupcake and a 12 pack cupcake.  On day two, 4.5 hours were allotted to create a minimum of one fondant cake, one show theme cake and a cake of choice.  This year’s contest was sponsored by Maplehurst, Rich’s and Dawn Food Products, Inc.

Stiltner learned the craft from her late Mother and has been decorating cakes for most of her life.  She is a six year associate with the company and currently serves as a cake decorator for Food City’s Eastern Plaza location in Newport, TN.  She received $500 and a gift package.  “When I was young, my Mom decorated cakes in our home to earn extra money,” says Stiltner.  “I always wanted her to teach me. I would go behind her and say teach me Mom, teach me... I want to learn, I want to learn. All these years later, every time I decorate a cake, I think of my Mom and that makes me happy.”

Stiltner will also be given an opportunity to submit an entry for a chance to compete in the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association National Cake Decorators Challenge in Atlanta, GA in June of 2015.  Food City received the coveted national champion title when Greeneville, TN resident and Food City cake decorator, Rebecca Lougheed was named winner of the 2013 International Dairy Deli Bakery Association Cake Decorating Challenge.

Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores operates 106 retail food outlets throughout the tri-state regions of Southeast Kentucky, Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee.