A sell-out crowd of 250 soup enthusiasts gathered to taste and judge an array of creative soups at the local soup competition this weekend.

Twelve all-star judges spent two hours evaluating soups based on individuality, craftsmanship and gusto before selecting six finalists. The finalists then faced final scoring from all judges, with the top three receiving cash prizes and golden ladle trophies.

Kyle Bond of BBQue Texas, LLC claimed first place in the juried competition with his BBQue Texas Taco Soup. Gerardo Martinez from Vecinos Cafe took second place with his Pozole with a Kick, while Brandun Ramon and Heather Wyatt of Calypso Creole and Cajun Cuisine secured third place with their Chicken and Sausage Cajun Gumbo.

Josh and Julie Raymer from Bakery JoJu received an honorable mention for their Pozole Verde. The remaining finalists included Shonna Foster from Shim’s Be Blessed with her Nilgai Shroom Soup and Graham Gammack and Randall McCabe from Art of Soup with their Mulligatawny.

Attendees cast nearly 400 votes using two voting cards issued with each ticket purchase to determine the “Tasters Choice” winners. Organizers printed 500 voting cards for the event.

Gammack and McCabe’s Mulligatawny, which was a finalist in the juried competition, took first place in the Tasters Choice category. Chef Adrian Cruz from Alla Campagna in Fredericksburg secured second place with his Fagioli al Maiale. Ramon and Wyatt’s Chicken and Sausage Cajun Gumbo achieved the rare distinction of placing in both competitions, taking third in the Tasters Choice awards.

Jeff Blakeley from Pint & Plow received an honorable mention for his Cream of Asparagus with Pretzel Bite. Other popular entries included Katie Tenery’s The Popper Potion from Earthshine Studios, the Raymers’ Pozole Verde, Foster’s Nilgai Shroom Soup and Abbey Goodman’s Chicken and Stars.

Organizers noted that every soup received multiple Tasters Choice votes, confirming the high quality of all entries in the competition.