Toronto finally has an official subway beef patty champion. Allwyn's Bakery took the top spot in a live blind taste test that pitted six of the city's best-known Jamaican beef patties against one another at Summerhill Station on Sept. 21.
The competition, a collaboration between the TTC and Streets of Toronto, brought together a five-person judging panel to settle once and for all which patty reigns as the ultimate commute snack.
Chefs, a TTC board member and food lovers judged
The judges included chef Lonie Murdock of Miss Likklemore's, chef Dadrian Coke of Chubby's Jamaican Kitchen, Streets of Toronto's Kaitlin Narciso, Toronto creator Fred B.K. and Josh Colle of the TTC, according to Streets of Toronto.
Each contender brought something different to the table. Scotty Bons offered a slow-building heat, while Kingston 12 impressed the panel with its flaky crust. Caribbean Queen went generous on the filling, and TinNel's was praised for a balanced bite.
Randy's Patties, which finished in second place, earned high marks for its rich Scotch bonnet flavour and what judges described as an authentic kick.
Allwyn's takes the crown
Allwyn's Bakery ultimately claimed the title, winning over the judges with golden, flaky pastry, a generous filling and what the panel called a just-right crust-to-meat ratio, with filling reaching right to the edges.
For Toronto commuters who have long debated where to grab a patty on the way to the platform, the verdict gives the northwest Toronto bakery bragging rights as the maker of the city's best subway snack — at least according to this panel.
The full breakdown of the taste test appears in the October issue of Post City Magazines. Commuters can also scan QR codes posted in TTC subway stations to watch the judges make their way through all six patties.
