Bethany Berger of Colchester will travel to Las Vegas, Nevada to represent Vermont in the national Best Bagger Competition in February. Berger, a cashier at Shaw’s Supermarket in Colchester, won the title of 2015 Vermont Best Bagger on Saturday, October 17th at the annual Vermont Retail & Grocers Association state-wide bagging championship.
Ten competitors from supermarkets around the state competed in the event at the University Mall in South Burlington. Contestants had to pack about 35 items into two reusable shopping bags. Berger, who won by a narrow margin, received 24.89 points out of a possible 30 and completed the final heat in 39.6 seconds.
Baggers were judged on their speed, the distribution of weight between bags, their bag building technique, and their style, attitude, and appearance. This year’s judges were four of the five candidates vying for the state’s top office, Lt. Governor Phil Scott, House Speaker Shap Smith, Sue Minter, and Bruce Lisman.
All of the contestants did a great job showing their skill while under pressure to be the fastest and best bagger,” said Jim Harrison, VRGA President. “Each contestant should be applauded for their exceptional bagging technique and customer service.”
The Vermont Retail and Grocers Association represents approximately 800 retail stores and 250 suppliers to the industry, including members of the Vermont Specialty Food Association. Current members include clothing stores, sports stores, supermarkets, food co-ops, beverage stores, convenience stores, and general and country stores, as well as many other merchants. Associate members include manufacturers, wholesalers, brokers, and service providers.