Tom Richard is shown with his Best-in-Show ribbon winning Best Chili in Lehigh in Wednesday night's compeition. Photo by Mel Toadvine

The next time you visit Atomic Tom’s Pizza and Sub Shop at 2929 Lee Blvd., across from the Sherwin Williams paint store, get ready for some really good zesty chili. Owner Tom Richard was named the winner of the much publicized Best Chili In Lehigh contest Wednesday night at the Lehigh Acres Spring Festival at Veterans Park.

The winning chili is going on the menu at Richard’s restaurant next week.

Richard got a Best-in-Show ribbon for preparing the best chili in Lehigh and after the winners in the cakes, cookies and chili contests were announced, everyone lined up to get a taste.

There were 11 entries this year, probably the most ever in the many years that the Best Chili in Lehigh contest has been held. Over the year, the chili contest had dwindled and last year, there were only two entries.

“But this year, there was really renewed interest in who cooked the best chili in Lehigh,” said Liz Eilf, the chairman of the cooking contests. She came with plastic spoons and cups for the judges to use when they sampled the entries in all the contests. A large crowd stood along the sides and in front of the Activities Tent, where the competition was held at 7 p.m.

Winners of the desserts and chili contests are shown from left to right, Tom Richard, Patricia Herb, Amanda Warner and Kaylee Reilly. Photo by Mel Toadvine

“I had plenty, enough for all the by-standers who wanted to taste all the food that were entered,” Liz said laughing. It has become a tradition over the years that everyone gets to taste the entries, and especially the ones that won.

It was no different this year, except there were more people, one of the largest crowds ever to attend the compeition.

Eilf said she is happy that there is renewed interest in the competitions, like it was years ago.

About the Best Chili, Richard has this to say: “It’s going to be on the menu next week. If people like it that much, I’ll serve it the restaurant. Get ready for a zesty serving. Richard said he used cayenne, a type of pepper in his winning recipe. Those who tasted it said it wasn’t too hot, but “sort of in the middle.”

Richard prepares all the food at his Atomic Tom’s Pizza and Sub shop and claims he got his cooking skills from his wife and his mother. “They taught me how to cook,” he laughed.

Everyone who attended the cooking contests at the Lehigh Spring Festival Wednesday night got to taste the entries. Photo by Mel Toadvine

The other big winner of the evening was a cheese cake, prepared by Kathy Hicks. She’s the chef at Sterling House on Business Way and because she’s such a good cook, fellow employees urged her to enter something.

“I didn’t know I was going to win. That’s so great,” she said proudly.

After the competition and after the placing of the Best-in-Show ribbons, her cheese cake with cherries on top was completely consumed by everyone who came to the competition. Eilf said there were about 30 to 40 people there. They included family members and others who came to see who would take home the ribbons.

All winners are named here:

Best Cookies: First place, Amanda Warner; second place, Karen Hoppe, and third place, Maria Richer.

Tom Richard is shown at right with friends who want to taste his winning entry that won him a Best-in-Show for the Best Chili in Lehigh Acres. Photo by Mel Toadvine

Best Cakes: First place, Kathy Hicks (who also won Best-in-Show), second place, Juliana Toyloy.

Best Desserts, First place, Kaylee Reilly and second place went to Laura Reilly, a mother and daughter team.

Best Chili in Lehigh winners included: Best-in-Show, Tom Richard; first place, Patricia Herb; second place, Scott Evans; and third place, Karen Hoppe.

Those who helped Eilf in the preparation of the contests included Martha Thrower and Georgia Hammell.

Judges included Erma Byer of Publix, Melissa Ruble of Country Roads Caf, and Chris Nelson, a home baker.

Here judges are shown taking the many entries in the desserts and chili contests held at the Lehigh Spring Festival. The judges were Erma Byer, Melissa Ruble, and Chris Nelson. Photo by Mel Toadvine

Tonight’s contests will be the judging of flowers, fruits and vegetables. Registration begins at 6 p.m. and judging begins at 7 p.m.

Also tonight at 7 p.m. are the semi finals of the Junior Spring Festival Idol; and at 8 p.m., the semi-finals of the Senior Spring Festival Idol contest.

The Lehigh Spring Festival continues Friday night with the finals of the Idol contests and the naming of the honorary mayor Lehigh Acres.