Rules & Regulations

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Lone Star Gumbeaux Festival
Saturday, April 29,2023
8002 MLK Ave, Hitchcock, TX 77563

Gumbo Rules & Regulations

  1. Gumbo must:
    1. Be cooked on-site day of cook-off.
    2. Be prepared from scratch – including roux. Pre-cooked stock and meats are allowed, vegetables may be pre-chopped.
    3. Comply with the Health inspector sanitary rules: thermometer, hand wash and three sink sanitation station, your food product must be USDA inspected (I.E.  no homemade sausage, etc). 
    4. Be cooked in the open – no RV’s or closed tents.
    5. You must be willing to taste your own gumbo and cooking conditions are subject to inspection.  
  1.   Head cook is responsible for the conduct of their team as well as compliance with cook-off rules.
    1. Head cook will be responsible for ensuring that booth area is kept clean, trash is removed and put in dumpster or trash container, and area left clean after event is over.
  1. Failure to follow above rules will be grounds for disqualification.
  1. Gumbo may be seafood, non-seafood or any combination. No fillers (rice) allowed in judging cups.  You may want to cook rice to serve with gumbo for public tasting.  One pot of gumbo per team.  Each team must cook a minimum of 3 gallons for tasting and judging.

Event Regulations

  1. Teams can be individuals, businesses or groups/organizations. No professional chefs allowed.
  2. Each team will be assigned one 10 x 10 space.
  1. Cookers must provide cook stove (propane or white gas), cooking supplies, table, chairs, water for preparation and cleanup, and canopy.
  1. Important Times:
    •  7 a.m. – Festival grounds open for team entry
    • 9 a.m. – Cooks check-in
    • 10 a.m. - Cooks Meeting

               Cooking can begin immediately after meeting.

    • 1 p.m. – Business gumbo – Judging and public tasting
    • 2 p.m. - Local gumbo – Judging and public tasting
    • 4 p.m. - Awards     
  1. Entry fee is $25 per team.
  2. Best decorated booth/showmanship award will be judged on theme, audience appeal, overall appearance, neatness of area and originality.
  3. Have Fun! Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Judging & Awards

  1. Awards will be presented to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place gumbo in the business category and in the local individual/group category, Best Decorated Booth and Taster’s Choice.
  2. Judging will be on a blind-ticket system.  Do not decorate, mark or alter judging cup in any manner.
  3. Judging will be based on aroma, appearance, consistency, taste and after-taste.

Questions: If you have any questions about the registration form or rules/regulations, please call Mike Baxter at 281-222-4775.

NOTE: All cook teams are required to complete a “Temporary Food Permit Application” at the Galveston County Health Department.  The form is available on-line at the GCHD website.

Details for the application: Get your Galveston County Health District Temporary Food Booth Application Here.

Special Event: Lone Star Gumbeaux Festival
Sponsor: City of Hitchcock, Hitchcock EDC
Date of the event: April 29, 2023
Location: 8002 MLK Ave, Hitchcock, TX 77563

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