Chuck Bailey, one of the owners of The Vault, helps put the championship belt on Stokes Wood Fired Pizzas owner Jason Stokes after Stokes was named the pizza cookoff winner. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

EAST LIVERPOOL — A champion has been crowned in a battle of pizza between two popular wood fired pizza businesses.

Stokes Wood Fired Pizza beat The Vault in the first Great Pizza Cookoff held Sunday at The Vault.

The winner was determined by pizza cookoff judges Kade Reynolds, varsity basketball head coach, East Liverpool High School; Christina Snyder, representative, Birdfish Brewery; Pat King, First Class Towing; John Danvers, Danvers Construction; and Eli Murphy, Eli Murphy Construction.

Drew Dawson, director of marketing, The Vault, described the event as a showcase of fun, flavor and a taste of East Liverpool’s incredible community spirit.

“This isn’t just a competition,” Dawson said. “It’s a celebration of local pride, skill, and, of course, the art of wood-fired pizza.”

The contenders cooked up their best pizzas, with Stokes cooking theirs outside by The Vault’s back patio in their portable pizza and The Vault cooking theirs in their dining area pizza oven. The pizzas were then served to the judges who determined the winner by vote after a blind tasting.

When Stokes was announced as the winner, Chuck Bailey, owner (one of six) The Vault enthusiastically helped put the championship belt on Jason Stokes and a champion necklace on Megan Stokes, owners, Stokes Wood Fired Pizza.

Bailey said there would be a rematch in the spring.