Down East magazine is again hosting its annual Down East Lobster Roll Competition this year, presenting the 2022 event in a virtual format. Registration for vendors officially opened on Feb. 1 and runs through May 1. 

Just like last year’s competition, the public will be invited to participate virtually, according to a release from the magazine. They may visit as many vendors as they wish to sample lobster rolls, and then cast their vote for their favorite during the voting period, from May 1 to July 17, by visiting the magazine’s website. The winners will be announced in the September issue.

“The Maine lobster roll is our iconic dish,” said Down East editor-in-chief Brian Kevin. “It’s the perfect mix of an indulgence and an unpretentious hand-food, the perfect mix of buttery and salty and warm and cool. It’s the perfect food for summertime in Maine.”

The magazine started the competition in 2017 and held it again in 2018. In both years, it was an in-person event. There were no competitions in 2019 and 2020, but the contest returned  in a virtual format in 2021. That year, Taste of Maine in Woolwich took first prize, with Beal’s Lobster Pier in Southwest Harbor coming in second and Must Be Nice Lobster Co. in Belfast finishing third.

“Last year’s Down East Lobster Roll Competition turned me on to a handful of lobster-roll purveyors I’d never visited,” Kevin said. “And I know it did the same for readers because we hear from them. Playing along and voting and sharing, having that excuse to detour to a new-to you lunch stop — it just turned into this great complement to people's Maine summer travels.” 

Vendors pay an entry fee of $500, which gets them special promotion in the magazine and online.