About the Competition

Our mission is to celebrate and uplift the diverse local food shops significant to every community—including local grocery stores, bakeries, delis, and more. We invite students from grades 7 through 12 to submit written or videoed stories highlighting what makes their local food shop unique.

Kasia Market - Belle Mead, New Jersey
Courtesy of Claire Wang

SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN FROM 7/21 to 8/18

Who Can Participate:

7th-8th graders (Junior Group) and 9th-12th graders (Senior Group).

NOTE: YOU MUST BE OVER THE AGE OF 13 TO PARTICIPATE.

Accepted Mediums:

You may submit a written piece or a video.

Submit your videos or written pieces on our competition’s theme: “Your Local Food Shop.”

While the theme is up to each person’s interpretation, here are some prompts students may explore:

A fiction piece set at your local food shop
A journalism piece including interviews with the store’s staff and clients
A personal narrative about an experience at your local food shop
Why you shop/dine at that specific food shop and how it relates to your identity
A profile of a longstanding employee: how the food shop has changed over the years
Steps the food shop takes to promote sustainability
A documentary of the behind-the-scenes at the food shop

Winners will be announced two weeks following the submission deadline.

Prizes

Senior Group: 9th-12th graders

1st

2nd

1st

3rd

Junior Group: 7th-8th graders (13+ only)

1st

2nd

1st

3rd

Meet Our Judges

Peter Larkin

Former CEO/President of the National Grocers Association & Owner of Larkin Consulting LLC.

Kevin Coupe

Speaker & author at MorningNewsBeat, a daily online news & information site.

Rick Brindle

Former Vice President of Industry Development at Mondelēz International—Oreo's parent company.

Join the Storytelling Movement

Submit your written or video story today and help shine a spotlight on the local food shops that nourish your neighborhood and represent your culture. Whether it’s a cherished bakery, a family-run deli, or a corner store full of memories.

FAQs

What is defined as a local food shop?

Local food shops include grocery stores, bakeries, delis, restaurants, cafés…anywhere that sells food. However, we want you to focus on independent food shops—think, for example, a mom-and-pop bagel shop in your town, rather than a large chain grocery store.

Must I be from the United States to participate?

Nope! Anyone from anywhere can participate, as long as you meet our age requirements stated above.

Do I have to follow one of the prompts?

You do not need to follow the prompts, but you can if you want to! They are just there to serve as inspiration in case you get stuck. We want to see your interpretation of our theme, "Your Local Food Shop." Note that no points are added or deducted for following the prompts, but points may be deducted if you stray from the theme.

Is there a word count/video length requirement?

There is no requirement for word count/video length. We want you to express your creativity as freely as possible!

Who will view my submissions?

Your submissions will be reviewed by our judges and the board members of the Phillips Academy Food Society. ALL winners will have their submissions published on this website. Non-winners will not be published.

I have a question! Who do I contact?

Please email questions/concerns to cwang26@andover.edu and mhsu26@andover.edu.