Do you have the perfect pizza recipe? The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) is looking to crown a new champion in its 2025 Real California Pizza Contest — and it could be you!
The CMAB is looking for the most creative professional chefs in America to showcase their inventive use of Real California Cheese in the best pizza recipes. For the 2025 Real California Pizza Contest, CMAB will award prizes totaling $30,000, and any professional chef or culinary student in the U.S. is eligible to enter.
Chefs can submit recipes into three NEW categories: On The Menu, The Big Cheese, and Innovative Wildcard. On The Menu is an innovative pizza recipe that is already on your regular menu or a recipe available as a seasonal item or LTO. Dairy must be a key ingredient. The Big Cheese is an all-cheese recipe featuring Real California mozzarella and a minimum of two other Real California cheeses. Finally, the Innovative Wildcard is a chance to wow the judging team with an original cheese-centric recipe that must include Real California mozzarella and a healthy helping of kitchen creativity.
“Our contest is focused on highlighting the best in pizza from around the country that showcases how California cheeses and dairy ingredients can elevate any restaurant or pizzeria menu,” said Mike Gallagher, business and market development consultant for the CMAB. “The judging team looks forward to seeing submissions in new, fresh categories that celebrate California’s leading foodservice cheese, mozzarella, as well as other cheese varieties.”
All online entries will be evaluated, with the top four recipes in each category selected as finalists. The 12 finalists will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to compete head-to-head at a bake-off event on July 29, 2025, at the Culinary Institute of America at Copia in Napa, Calif. Each category winner will receive $5,000. The overall highest-scoring pizza will be named the Grand Prize Winner, earning an additional $5,000. Finalists who do not win a category will each receive $1,000.
The deadline for contest submissions is May 16, 2025. Potential eligible Performance cheeses fall under Roma® Original, Roma Super Deluxe, Roma Classico, Saluté!®, Piancone®, Luigi®, and Assoluti!®
Pizzaiolos and chefs everywhere that are craving a bigger piece of the pie, some of that dough, or just the glory of being crowned pizza champion can review the contest requirements, qualifying cheeses, and complete an entry at realcaliforniamilkfoodservice.com/pizza-contest/.
*Content provided in partnership with the CMAB