2011 Souperbowl Winners Announced

The people have spoken. ’s curried squash soup with pear was voted the top soup at the Needham Business Association’s 2011 Souperbowl.

There were  340 votes cast in the competition, which took place under a tent at on Saturday, Oct. 1, part of the Needham Business Association’s . Visitors paid $5 each to enter the tent, where they sampled 11 different soups from businesses around Needham and voted for their favorites.

For the People’s Choice awards, Briarwood came in first place, followed by Root Catered Events’ golden beet rooted soup in second and ’s Silvio’s wild mushroom soup in third place, according to Barbara Kansky, Needham Business Association administrator.

Soups also were graded by a panel of judges, which included Clelia Eagan (who runs a cooking show on ), Carol de Lemos, Libby Ostrofsky and Linda Muckerheide.

“For the first time ever, there was a tie for first place for Judge’s Choice,” Kansky said. “Wingate at Needham and Root Catered Events tied for first. Briarwood Healthcare was second and the took third place.”

All award winners will receive wooden plaques to display proudly in their locations, Kansky said. Awards will be handed out during the Needham Business Association’s annual dinner in January.

Despite some light rain and cloudy skies, the Harvest Fair and Souperbowl were well attended, Kansky said.

“Consdering how the day started out, the crowd was pretty decent,” she said. “Every time I went by the soup tent it was packed.”

The Needham Business Association’s next big event will be the Blue Tree Lighting on Saturday, Nov. 26. The official start to the holiday season in Needham, this annual event will begin at 5:00 p.m. on the and will include the lighting of a large tree, holiday music and a visit from Santa Claus—who will arrive on a fire truck.