Competition is expected to be fierce at the third annual Cob Loaf Festival in Wellington this month.
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The runaway success of the inaugural event meant organisers rescheduled the following year's festival to be held on a weekend and 2019 will follow that tradition when it is held on November 16 at Cameron Park.
Cob Loaf Federation President Andrew McKay said preparations for the 2019 festival were going well.
"I think the competition could be quite fierce this year," he added.
This year's competition will have four cob loaf categories; dessert, hot, cold and international.
A champion will be crowned in each of the four categories and of those winners, the overall winner will be announced.
The scoring system is out of 100, with 30 points for presentation and 70 for taste
Last year approximately 200 people from Wellington, the central west and Sydney taste-tested the cobs.
"This would have to be one of the only one where you can potentially rock up to Wellington and go away as world champion... so it's quite unique that you do have the opportunity to literally go for the world championships in cob loaf making," Mr McKay added.
Mr McKay said everyone has heard of a cob loaf and it is one of those items that seems to always be at parties.
"I think it's one of those festival's where it's the 'festival of sharing'.... we want people to come, eat and have a chat," he said.
There have been many creative cobs at the festival, including Ellie Hawkey's viral sensation 'the dessert cob', in 2017, which was made out of nutella, marshmallows and a choc chip loaf.
Michael Thomas won last year with his salmon cob loaf creation.
"It's amazing how you have preconceived ideas and you walk around and are wowed with what people come up with," Mr McKay said.
His advice to entrants this year was to let their imagination run wild. A master-class will also be run on the evening with Julee Hunt and Anne Worthington teaching people how to make a good cob loaf.
The festival is so prestigious and esteemed that the names of the judges won't be announced until the day.
One of the newest additions to the festival in 2019 will be a bike ride from Mudgee to Wellington which will help kick off Saturday's event.
The festival will run from 4pm to 8pm, with judging to take place at 6pm.
Mr McKay said because it may be warm riders will take part in two mandatory swims along the way in the Cudegong and Macquarie rivers. The event is aptly titled 'the double dip'.
For those entering in the dessert or cold cob loaf category can be rest assured that their product won't be spoiled if it is a hot day, as a coolroom will be available.