Mattituck Strawberry Shortcake-Eating Contest Draws Spirited Crowd

NORTH FORK, NY — It was the sweetest of competitions Saturday as 10 contestants vied to win the World Strawberry Shortcake Eating Championship, presented by Major League Eating, at the 68th Annual Mattituck Lions Club Strawberry Festival.

The contestants competed to see who could stuff their faces with the most 1 lb. bowls of strawberry shortcake in 8 minutes — and this year, Geoff Esper of Oxford, MA — the #2nd ranked competitive eater in the world —took home the title, downing 21 bowls of sweet goodness in the allotted time and winning the $3,500 purse.

Esper was the 2022 winner, as well, coming in at 18.25 bowls. Esper also won the competition in 2019, eating 17.5 bowls in 8 minutes.

This year's second place winner was Miki Sudo, the only female in the competition, who finished 15 and 3/4 lbs. of shortcake.

Coming in third was Nick Wehry, with 15 lbs.

This year, a Riverhead resident, Tim Wheeler, also took part in the fun; Wheeler ate 6 bowls of strawberry shortcake. Other Long Island contestants included Mark Kaiser of North Babylon, who ate 3.5 lbs., and John Sharkey of West Islip, who downed 3.75 lbs.