H-E-B has named 10 small businesses as finalists in its 13th annual Quest for Texas Best competition, narrowing a record-breaking 978 entries from more than 500 companies statewide to the entrepreneurs who will compete Oct. 8 for $100,000 in combined prizes and placement on H-E-B shelves.
The competition remains one of retail’s most productive supplier-discovery pipelines: Since launching in 2014, it has uncovered more than 1,000 unique Texas-made products spanning food, beverage and general merchandise, with H-E-B awarding nearly $2.75 million in prize money along with marketing support and mentoring, and 55 Quest alumni have earned the grocer’s Million Dollar Club belt buckle for reaching $1 million in sales.
“Quest for Texas Best is more than a competition, it is a launchpad for Texas entrepreneurs,” said James Harris, senior director of diversity and inclusion and supplier diversity for H-E-B. “H-E-B began as a small business, and we know firsthand how powerful the right opportunity can be. We are proud to help these entrepreneurs grow, and we cannot wait to introduce our customers to the next great Texas-made products.”
The 10 finalists
- Sol Dias, Haltom City: family-owned Mexican ice cream company making slow-churned paleta bars, rooted in founders Victor and Stacey Garcia’s ties to Mexticacan, Jalisco, birthplace of the paleta;
- Uncle Marc’s, Glenn Heights: seasoning and barbecue sauce lineup, including Blackberry Molasses BBQ Sauce, blending founders Marcus and Creda Perryman’s Mississippi and East Texas roots;
- Coley’s Foods Inc., Boerne: gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar-free ready-to-bake frozen cookie dough from founder Nicole O’Hara;
- Dean & Peeler Meats, Floresville: smoked gouda sausage and 100 percent Angus beef tallow from the beef industry’s first fully vertically integrated cattle operation;
- Hive Food Co., Houston: woman-owned honey maker whose Lemon + Ginger Infused Honey is handcrafted with raw Texas honey;
- In Your Smokin’ Face, Roma: family-owned South Texas seasoning brand known for its Orange Pepper Piquín and carne asada blends;
- La Fregona, Bastrop: Mexican Streetcorn Chilito Sauce blending five chiles, developed from an authentic eloteros street recipe;
- The Doggie Express, Houston: women-owned dog treat bakery making decorated cookies, grain-free treats and non-dairy ice cream for pets;
- WFN Foods, San Antonio: fully cooked Three Taco Fest family pack of beef barbacoa, pork carnitas and carne guisada from a USDA-inspected plant;
- Big Bayou Cocktail Sauces, Houston: award-winning Bloody Mary mixes, margarita mix and Cajun blackening seasoning built on house-made vegetable juice.
The finalists will pitch their products before a panel of judges in San Antonio, H-E-B’s hometown. Judges will name the top four, with the grand prize winner receiving $50,000, the title of “Texas Best” and shelf placement, followed by $25,000 for first place, $15,000 for second and $10,000 for third.
H-E-B, with sales of more than $50 billion, operates 460 stores in Texas and Mexico with more than 175,000 Partners.
Related: H-E-B Seeks Entries For Annual Quest For Texas Best Competition