Zack Calder and Jimmy Henry claimed top honors at the 2026 REAL California Pizza Contest.
More than 200 recipe submissions from pizza makers across the country were narrowed to just eight finalists at the eighth annual REAL 
California Pizza Contest, where two category champions and one grand champion emerged after a full day of live competition at The Culinary Institute of America at Copia in Napa, California. Hosted by the California Milk Advisory Board, the invitation-only event has grown into one of the pizza industry’s premier culinary competitions, challenging chefs to showcase the versatility and performance of REAL California dairy products while competing for more than $20,000 in prize money.
Chef Jimmy Henry of Jimmyhank Pizza in Harleysville, Pennsylvania, captured the California Freestyle championship with his Motor City Elote, a Detroit-style pizza inspired by Mexican street corn featuring REAL California low-moisture mozzarella, Oaxaca cheese, cotija and crema. Henry’s bold interpretation of a familiar favorite earned him the category title and a $5,000 prize, setting the stage for a day filled with creative pizzas and close competition from some of the country’s top pizzaioli
The day’s biggest winner, however, was Zack Calder, owner of Left Coast Pizza in Dayton, Nevada, who claimed first place in the On the Menu category before earning the contest’s overall Grand Champion title with his Valley Heat, Vine Sweet. His victory was worth $7,500, but Calder said the biggest reward was seeing years of hard work finally pay off. “I grew up in the pizza business,” he said. “I didn’t even know there were pizza contests until a couple years ago. Every competition I’ve done, I’ve learned something from the other competitors. It’s such a great community and brotherhood.” Rather than chasing trends, Calder credited steady improvement and learning from fellow competitors for helping him reach the top.
That philosophy even shaped the way he approached the event registration itself. Because finalists are selected long before they arrive in Napa, Calder spent extra time refining not only his recipe, but also telling the story behind it. “I spent more time working on the description this year,” he said. “The pizza has to look good in pictures, but putting thought into the story and even the name may have helped get me here.”
Calder added, “If you’re thinking about competing, do it. The first few times I didn’t place, but I learned one thing every competition. Then you build on that the next time.”
The competition also featured a special Three-Cheese Pizza Bake-Off, where Ryan Ososky of Dtown Pizzeria in West Hollywood, California,
teamed up with Oscar Venegas of Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco to earn top honors with a pizza featuring REAL California mozzarella, Hatch chile Jack and Parmesan-style cheese. The event was judged again this year by the power trio of pizza: Tony Gemignani, Glenn Cybulski and Laura Meyer.
Katie Cameron, director of foodservice for the California Milk Advisory Board, had nothing but praise for this year’s finalists and event staff. “As always, everyone involved with this event demonstrated exceptional creativity while highlighting the quality, versatility and consistency of REAL California dairy products.” And with the remaining finalists receiving $1,000 each for their efforts, everyone went home a winner.
While Henry and Calder walked away with championship trophies, one finalist gave the U.S. Pizza Team another reason to celebrate. John McCaffrey of Yellow Bridge Brewing Tap and Table in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, proudly represented the USPT as its newest and only member selected among this year’s finalists. His West Coast Bianca, chosen for the California Freestyle division, paired REAL California ricotta, mozzarella and aged cheeses with heirloom tomatoes, avocado, fresh basil and balsamic reduction, earning him a place in one of the country’s most selective pizza competitions.
Simply reaching Napa was a victory in itself, and McCaffrey approached the trip with the same attention to detail he brought to his pizza, beginning his dough days before leaving Pennsylvania and carefully managing its fermentation throughout the cross-country flight before its final preparation in California.
“It’s a great honor, first of all, to be part of the United States Pizza Team and represent all of us here today,” McCaffrey said. “I can’t believe I even made it here to California. It didn’t really seem real until I was here. It’s a great learning experience, and I think it’s going to push me to be better prepared for competitions and have a better understanding of each competition.”
The experience extended beyond the kitchen. After spending time with California dairy producers and working with their products throughout the event, McCaffrey said he left with a deeper appreciation for the people behind the ingredients. “The dairy farmers themselves care a lot about the cheeses and the milk they produce, and they care about their cows. If they care about the cows, they’re going to care about every single product they make. They are happy cows here. It’s real.”
As another successful REAL California Pizza Contest comes to a 
close, the U.S. Pizza Team extends its sincere appreciation to one of its longtime Gold Sponsors, the California Milk Advisory Board and the REAL California Milk program, for continuing to invest in pizza professionals and create opportunities that challenge operators to sharpen their skills, exchange ideas and celebrate the craft of pizza. Over the past eight years, the contest has evolved into much more than a recipe competition. It has become a destination event where friendships are built, careers are elevated and pizza makers return home better than when they arrived.
Pizza makers inspired by this year’s competition won’t have to wait long for their own opportunity. The U.S. Pizza Team and REAL California Milk will reunite August 23-25 for the California Pizza Challenge during the Pizza Tomorrow Summit and the California Restaurant Show in Anaheim, California. Registration is open now at www.uspizzateam.com/CPC26, where competitors of all experience levels can step onto the competition floor, challenge themselves and discover why so many of today’s champions started by simply entering their first contest.
By Brian Hernandez, PMQ Pizza Assoc. Editor | U.S. Pizza Team Dir.
