Buehler’s Fresh Foods recently hosted the nationally-televised Ohio’s Best Bagger Competition at its Milltown location in Wooster, Ohio, where ESPN filmed the entire event. It aired Saturday, Aug. 8, on ESPN2.
At the Ohio Grocery Baggers Bowl 2020, 22 contestants faced off to win the Ceramic Bag Award, $1,000 and a trip to San Diego to compete for the National Bagging Championship at the National Grocer Associations National Convention.
Fengning Liu from Dorothy Lane Markets was the winner of the competition. Paige Brewster came in second place, Buehler’s Becky Wilson placed third, and Ashly Phillips and Morgan Schwartz rounded out the top five.
Buehler’s Fresh Foods has competed in the Ohio Grocery Best Bagger Competition for the past 17 years, holding the National Championship title in 2016 secured by Brady Long. Buehler’s has held the Ohio Champion title four years in a row.
“Each year Buehler’s enroll our top four baggers in the state OGA contest,” said Rich Bidinger, director of operations.
Bagging contestants are judged by the speed of bagging, proper bag-building technique, weight distribution in the bag, as well as style, attitude and appearance. Contestants for the Ohio competition are chosen through local competitions throughout the year.
“Buehler’s Fresh Foods is happy to both host and participate in the Ohio’s Best Bagger Competition. Having won this competition four times in a row from 2015 through 2018, we’re anxious to get back to our winning ways in support of the Ohio Grocers Association,” said Dan Shanahan, president and CEO of Buehler’s Fresh Foods.
Buehler’s Fresh Foods grocery store was founded in 1929 by E.L. Buehler and his wife, Helen. The family moved the business in 1932 to Wooster, and, after four generations, grew to 13 stores serving the northeast Ohio market. In 2017, Buehler’s became an ESOP (employee stock ownership program).
The Ohio Grocers Association is the leading voice and advocate for Ohio’s grocery industry and is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.
