WUFT News News and Public Media for North Central Florida from the University of Florida in Gainesville
Satchels Pizza placed third in the first annual SEC Pizza Championship in Oxford, Miss.
Satchel Rae, owner of the pizza company, competed against five pizzerias: Tribecca Allie Café and Tre Amici both representing the University of Mississippi, Five Points Pizza representing Vanderbilt University, Lost Pizza Co. representing Mississippi State University and Fleur de Lis Pizza representing Louisiana State University.
Each round contestants had to bake two identical 14-inch pizzas, one going to the judges and the other to those in attendance. Those who made it to the final four ended up making six pizzas, but some baked more to serve the approximately 1,000-person crowd, said Brian Hernandez, U.S. Pizza Team director and PMQ event coordinator.
Tribecca Allie Café was awarded first place.
Every pizzeria owner who participated in the SEC competition received a medal and invitation to join the U.S. Pizza Team.
Raye declined because he didn’t want to deal with the chaos of traveling to the world competition in Italy while juggling a restaurant and a family back home.
