N.S. senior wins grand prize in Food Network's recipe contest
A Nova Scotia senior is $250,000 richer after her recipe received the grand prize on the Food Network show ``Recipe to Riches.''
Glo McNeill, 82, of Lunenburg, N.S., received the highest number of online votes from Canadians for her Luscious Lemon Pudding on the season finale of the competitive reality series Wednesday night.
``Winning the 'Recipe to Riches' grand prize is truly a dream come true for me and I can't thank Canadians enough for giving me their vote,'' McNeill said in a release from Food Network Canada. ``It's an honour to have proven that seniors can truly move mountains when given the opportunity.''
She said the recipe was inspired by her childhood in post-war England and the happy memories that thoughts of her mom's lemon curd still evoke.
Food Network Canada says McNeill's award is the highest cash prize in Canadian reality television history.
The contest began airing in October with 21 finalists in seven food categories and was narrowed down to six contenders. McNeill was up against Jacqui Keseluk (cakes) of Fall River, N.S., John Grass (appetizers) of Riverview, N.B.; Melaney Gleeson-Lyall (savoury pies) of Burnaby, B.C.; Rosy Soobrattee (frozen treats) of Milton, Ont.; and Robert Luft (entrees) of Vancouver. Each category winner received $25,000.
McNeill's winning recipe and the other category winners' recipes have been developed into President's Choice products and are available in select Loblaw stores across the country.
The show, hosted by former ``The Bachelor'' star Jesse Palmer, was judged by Laura Calder, host of ``French Food at Home''; Tony Chapman, founder and CEO of advertising agency Capital C; and Dana McCauley, culinary director of Janes Family Foods. Galen Weston, executive chairman of Loblaw Companies Limited, was a guest judge.
McNeill, who lives with her husband in a heritage home in historic Lunenburg, is not only a talented baker but also an avid painter, poet and barbershop singer.
The season finale of ``Recipe to Riches'' is being rebroadcast on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Global TV or it can be viewed online starting Friday at recipetoriches.ca.