Cupcake-eating contest draws a crowd

Move over Nathan’s –– there’s a new eating contest in the New York area. Over the Fourth of July weekend, the Got Cupcakes? Bakery, on Bedford Avenue in Bellmore Village, hosted its first annual cupcake-eating contest.

The competition attracted 24 contestants in three age groups and a crowd of more 100. The first age group was for contestants up to the 12 years old; contestants in the junior division had to eat one large signature cupcake without using their hands, Got Cupcakes? owner Nancy Moniodes said. Eleven-year-old Chris Hamm of Bellmore won the division by eating his cupcake in 54 seconds. All of the young contestants received movie tickets to the Bellmore Playhouse, and Hamm got a T-shirt as well as a gift certificate to Got Cupcakes?

The second division was for contestants ages 13 to 16. Hopefuls had to eat six traditional cupcakes and were allowed to use their hands. Bellmorite Joaquin Pallanza, 16, won in a time of two minutes and 47 seconds. Pallanza took home $25, a gift certificate to the bakery and a movie ticket.

Michael Savarese, of Bayside, closed out the competition in the adult category by eating 12 cupcakes in four minutes, 27 seconds. As the fastest eater in the adult category, Savarese won $100.

Moniodes said that the contest was a great success, and she looks forward to many more in the future. With so much support in its inaugural year, she excepts it to only “be even bigger.”

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