The very surprising results of the 2023 tablescape competition

Well, the 2023 tablescape competition results are in – and they’re very surprising! You may remember in last week’s post, I shared my concerns about what the judges would think of certain aspects of my table. And I promised to give you their comments.

It’s always so exciting, because you don’t know until you get down to the fair, who’s won what. I always try to drag my husband down there at the earliest opportunity, then go straight to the tablescape area. Sometimes if you crane your neck, you can see a ribbon or two on tables – maybe your own. But I always try not to see until I actually get there.

Any ribbons?

Unfortunately this year, there were no ribbons on my table. I had an Oregon sticker, but I wasn’t sure what that meant. (We figured out later that everyone had an Oregon sticker, so it must have just been for judging purposes or something.)

I wasn’t actually too surprised that I didn’t get a ribbon, because like I mentioned in my earlier post, I wasn’t sure how some of the aspects were going to hit the judges.

Next, I looked to the judges’ comments on the little card on the post in front of the table. The card lists the competitor’s name, and other pertinent info. Then the comments.

And here’s the surprising result. Ready?

The 2023 tablescape competition result

NOTHING!

What … ?!?!? At first I thought that my table was so outside the box that the judges couldn’t even make sense of it. But as I went around to the other entries, I saw that there were 4 or 5 of us who got N/A. (Which I’m assuming means Not Available, rather than Not Applicable.) (Maybe ?)

Not only that, the comments that were given to the other entries, were particularly short and unhelpful. One said “Good use of color.” Another, “Very pleasing to the eye.”

While it’s nice to know the judges liked the tables, I think most of us are in it to find out what they liked, and why! Even one of the first place winners got an N/A on their comments!

Judge shortage? Time shortage?

I was baffled – not to mention disappointed – and I wasn’t the only one. I overheard several confused fair goers wondering what was going on.

I’ll probably find out more when I go to take my table down next week. But until then, I can only speculate on what could have happened. Maybe the judges were abducted by aliens on their way to the fair?

More probably, it was something much more prosaic and they just couldn’t make it at the last minute. I’m guessing someone without a whole lot of knowledge or experience was pressed into service. And probably without a whole lot of time either. And if that’s the case, I’m sure they did their best. (In a less gracious mindset, I could also guess that the 2023 tablescape competition might not have gotten as much planning as it required.)

In any case, they hadn’t left themselves a lot of time anyway. The judging couldn’t even start until 7:00pm on Wednesday, and the fair opened at 9:00am on Friday. That really only left one business day to judge 20-ish tables.

2023 Tablescape competition judging criteria

For most of the divisions and classes, it might not have been as disappointing as for the one I entered. (Although I’m sure the entrants would have liked to know what the judges thought.) But class 3803 actually has published criteria, and a point system. Here it is, below.

You can see that it’s pretty comprehensive, and reasonably straightforward.

But nobody even got a score.

Let’s be our own 2023 tablescape competition judges

So I’m thinking, since we didn’t get any real input from the judges, let’s give our own input! It might be just as useful to self-score. Unfortunately, I wasn’t thinking along these lines when I was down there, so I didn’t get very many good pictures, but we can do our best. And at least you’ll get to see some of the other tables.

Some of the tables

This one got the Judge’s Choice award, and was so creative and fun, although I’m not sure it followed all the rules. It was in the formal class, and I’m sure if they’d been using the scoring, it would have had a few points deducted. How about that trellis though? I’d love to know how she secured it to the table.

The one thing I would draw your attention to, is how the place cards are set. If I were the judge for this one, I’d deduct a point or two for making your guests reach behind the place cards, (which are adorable, btw,) to get their dessert fork and spoon. A little cumbersome.

Plus, if you look back at the diagram in the handbook, it clearly shows the flatware in front of the place cards.

And here’s one in the Oregon category that’s wonderful! The menu was all Oregon treats, and the way she had the sand under the glass tabletop was genius! She held it up with little pilings made out of corks – brilliant! A well-deserved 1st place. This class didn’t have to follow the judging criteria of the formal class that I entered. So it’s ok that the wine glasess are on the left sides of the plates. Just as long as the diners can reach them easily.

This one is lovely, isn’t it? I love the cherry blossoms the table runner, and the napkins folded like fans. And the place cards were written in Japanese!

Here’s the one that got the “Good use of color” comment. It really was too bad – there was so much more to say about this pretty bright table!

Those were just a few of the lovely and creative tables at the 2023 tablescape competition.

But let’s do a deep dive on the beautiful table that won first place in the formal, criteria-driven, division, 3803. (The decorated tree competition is in the background. Try to ignore all the wires and stuff.)

The first place Birthday Luncheon table

The fair gives us a theme for the tables – in this case, Birthday Luncheon. Then we need to pick a sub-theme. The winning table’s sub-theme was “Golden Birthday.” I love how she used gold in the setting and the cake – so perfect! And such a great cake stand! (I’m ordering myself one – if you want one too, click HERE.)

Plus, you can’t see it, but her table skirt was a shimmery gold sparkle material, a lot like the napkins, only sheer. Really pretty!

The Menu

The menu plays an important part in the scoring, especially since it’s the foundation of the entire place setting. Here’s LuLu’s Golden Birthday menu:

• Late Summer Gazpacho
• Golden Beet Salad with Arugula and Goat Cheese
• Grilled Halibut with Fresh Mango Salsa, Coconut Rice, and Bread & Butter
• Champagne Birthday Cake
• The beverages are Stoller Chardonnay, Elk Cove Pinot Noir, Argyle Vintage Brut, Water, and Coffee

Let’s go through the points in order. I’ll put the table at the top of each section to refer to. And at the end of each section, I’ll give you the Barbara Leone (BL) score.

Here we go!

2023 Tablescape competition scoring

TABLEWARE – 30 Points (NOTE: This portion is judged under Class 3803: Appendix A if a formal setting)

• (15 pts) Is the choice of china, glassware and silverware appropriate for the chosen menu?
• Yes The menu is upscale, sophisticated and elegant, and the tableware matches that.
• (15 pts) Is each place setting correctly set to match the menu as served?
• Yes. There’s a bowl for the gazpacho, on top, as is fitting for the starter course, and the soup spoon is properly set at the outside right.
• Next in the stack is the salad plate, and the salad fork is in its correct spot at the far left.
• The dinner plate is set correctly under that, and the dinner fork and knife are next to it.
• The teaspoon is in its expected place, although I have to say, I’ve never understood that one. (Plus, usually you wouldn’t set the coffee/tea cup with this initial setting. It would be brought in with dessert. But let’s say you are having coffee with your actual meal. Then I guess you’d start drinking it after the soup round? Anyway, it’s in the standard position for this scenario.
• There’s a bread plate and butter knife for the bread and butter on the menu.
• There’s coffee on the menu, and a coffee cup to the right of the spoons.
• The glassware’s all in order, with the water glass at the top, and the glasses in the order of service, starting from the outside. This one’s a little tricky, because she didn’t list the wines with particular courses, but I think we get that they go in order.
• There’s a dessert fork for the cake, and a sugar bowl and creamer for the coffee.
• And there’s nothing extra on the table.
• BL SCORE = 30/30 POINTS
  

TABLE DECORATIONS – 25 Points

• (5 pts) Is the choice of tablecloth, runner, place mat or other table covering appropriate for the theme?
• Yes. Elegant and golden! Also playful and fun.
• (4 pts) Is the chosen napkin appropriate for the setting?
• Yes, also elegant and golden.
• (4 pts) Are all displayed items clean and the linens pressed?
• Yes.
• (4 pts) Is the centerpiece appropriate (color, occasion, visible to all diners) for the theme?
• Yes. The “centerpiece” flowers are combined with the dessert which is a birthday cake – perfect for the theme. Its color matches the theme, and both diners can see it. I love the Happy Birthday LuLu sign on top of the cake too. Besides being fun and personal, it totally reinforces the golden elegance theme.
• (4 pts) Are the table decorations obstructive for diners?
• No.
• (4 pts) If place cards are used, are they neatly printed or typed, placed correctly (for a formal setting) and appropriate to the theme?
• Yes. Place cards should be above the plate stack in a formal setting, and they are. Plus, they match the theme and color, and are easy to read.
• BL SCORE = 25/25
  

MENU – 25 POINTS

• (5 pts) Are the menu courses appropriate for the chosen theme?
• Yes. The golden beets refence the theme directly, and the champagne cake and brut are very celebratory, as is perfect for a golden birthday. Plus the birthday is in late summer, so the “late summer” gazpacho also fits.
• (5 pts) Are the courses listed in the correct order as served?
• Yes, except I would have liked to have the beverages listed under their appropriate courses. It seems pretty self-explanatory, but ultimately, we’re assuming. One point lost for that.
• (5 pts) Is the menu neatly printed? Are there any spelling errors?
• Yes, it’s neatly printed. I love the fonts. Again, elegant and payful. And no spelling errors, except the month of August at the bottom. This might be intentionally misspelled to be a playful reference to LuLu’s two U’s. If so, I think it’s charming! If not, I’d have to deduct a point.
• (5 pts) Is it large enough to be easily read and displayed for easy viewing?
• Yes. I had no trouble seeing it from behind the curtained half wall.
• (5 pts) Do food preparation, type and variety of foods to be served complement each other? Are the food choices suitable for the occasion and theme?
• They really do complement each other, and are totally suitable for the occasion. I’d love to have this luncheon! Plus, all the wines are from Oregon! Appropriate, no?
• BL SCORE = 24/25
  

APPEARANCE – 20 POINTS

• (10 pts) Does the table setting show functionality, originality, and creativity?
• Yes, the table is very functional. Everything is in its expected place, and diners would have no problem accessing any of their service items. And I would say an unequivocal, happy YES to originality and creativity! The napkins are charming – I’ve never seen any like them before. And I love the playful tablecloth and legend at the bottom of the menu! I love this table. Of course, white and gold is my favorite color combination, but also it’s so stylish, elegant, and fun.
• (10 pts) Is the overall effect pleasing to the eye?
• YES!
• BL SCORE = 20/20

Place setting scoring

Most of the actual place setting criteria is pretty straightforward. For instance, either the flatware is 1 inch from the edge of the table, or it’s not. So I’ll only make an extra comment if there’s something I want to draw your attention to.

Rules for Tableware Placement for Class 3803 (Worth 27 pts)

• (1 pt) The flatware and plate should be 1 inch from the edge of the table.
• Yes. And here’s something I want to draw your attention to right off! In the picture, it looks like the flatware is less than 1 inch from the edge of the table. But I saw it in real life, and it was exactly right.
• (1 pt) The plate is always in the center of the place setting.
• Yes
• (1 pt) If a charger is used, it should be set 1 inch from the table edge with dinner plate centered on top.
• Not used, so doesn’t apply. I’ll give her the point anyway.
• (1 pt) The dinner fork is placed at the left of the plate.
• Yes. And again, in the picture it looks like the dinner fork is too close to the plate, but since I saw it right after she’d set it, I know it was originally an inch away. But if I didn’t know that, I’d deduct a point.
• (1 pt) If a salad fork is used, it is placed to the left of the dinner fork.
• Yes.
• (1 pt) The salad plate, if needed, may be set to the left of the forks or on top of the dinner plate.
• Yes – on top of the plate.
• (1 pt) If soup is to be served, the soup bowl may be placed on top of the dinner plate or layered on top of the salad plate if the soup course is served first.
• Yes.
• (1 pt) Normally, for a formal setting, the napkin may be placed to the left of the fork, with the fold on the right, under the forks, or on top of the plate. In an informal place setting, the napkin may be decoratively placed elsewhere in the place setting.
• Yes, napkin is in an appropriate place, to the left of the forks.
• (1 pt) Because the napkins may be placed anywhere, use of napkin rings is optional.
• Napkin ring is used properly.
• (1 pt) The knife is placed to the right of the plate with the sharp blade facing in towards the plate and should be 1 inch from the edge of the plate.
• Yes.
• (1 pt) The teaspoon is placed to the right of the knife.
• Yes. See teaspoon rant in the TABLEWARE section, above!
• (1 pt) If a soup spoon is needed, it is placed to the right of the teaspoon.
• Yes.
• (1 pt) If a dessert spoon is needed, it is placed above the dinner plate with the bowl facing left. Note: a dessert spoon should be no larger than a teaspoon. A deduction will be made if the dessert spoon is a soup spoon or the dessert for is a dinner fork. (The dessert fork is similar to a salad fork and a salad fork can be used in place of a specialized fork.)
• No dessert spoon needed or placed.
• (1 pt) If a cake/dessert fork is needed, it is placed above the dinner plate with the tines facing right.
• Dessert fork for cake is in the proper spot and facing the right direction.
• (1 pt) If a bread plate is used, place it just above the tip of the fork.
• Yes.
• (1 pt) Small bread knives or spreaders, if used, should lay across the bread plate, parallel to the edge of the table with the handle pointing to the right, or at a 45-degree angle, handle to the right, blade turned toward center of the plate.
• Yes.
• (1 pt) The cup and saucer are to be placed to the right of the spoons with the handle to the right. Generally, the coffee/tea cup and saucer are not placed on the table until the dessert course. For this competition however, cups must be placed with the table setting.
• Yes
• (5 pts) Water glasses and/or wine glasses are placed to the right of the plate above the knife and spoons. Don’t forget to list all beverages on the printed menu card, including water, if served.
• Yes & Yes. There are several accepted ways to place your glasses. I prefer the downward trending row, just as this one is. But I wouldn’t have marked her down for grouping them in a triangle, which is another standard positioning.
• If individual salt and pepper shakers are used, they may be placed where desired.
• Not placed.
• (5 pts) For this very formal setting, place cards are required and should be computer generated vs. handwritten. They are to be placed above the dinner plate.
• Yes.

• BL SCORE = 27/27 POINTS

Final 2023 tablescape competition score

So, out of 127 points, This judge gives our Golden Birthday table a whopping 126!! WOO! A very well-deserved first place!

You can see that there’s both objectivity and subjectivity in this judging thing, which is what makes it so much fun!

How did you like being a judge? I’d love to hear if you agree or disagree with my interpretations, and how you would do it if you were judging. Leave me a comment and let’s keep this conversation going! 🙂

Scoring Update!

Well, I’m happy to say that when I went to pick up my table from the fair, my scorecard was included with my paperwork! It was nice to get that feedback, However, there still weren’t any comments, so I’m still not sure why I was marked down in some categories. And it looks like one line just got overlooked. Take a peek, and if you understand better than I do, and let me know what I missed. 🙂

PS – Even though I didn’t get any ribbons in the 2023 tablescape competition, I had an interesting and fun time preparing my table. I’ll share more of that in another post soon, so stay tuned!

This post shared with

• Tablescape Thursday 08.31.23 – Hosted by Between Naps on the Porch
• Thursday Favorite Things 08.31.23 – Hosted by Katherine’s Corner
• Tuesday Turn About 09.05.23 – Hosted by My Wee Abode