MINNEAPOLIS–Doubling the reasons and recipes to celebrate, General Mills Foodservice announces the 10 Regional Winners in its 5th Annual Neighborhood to Nation™ Recipe Contest, which doubled the number of independent family or “neighborhood” restaurant and food truck winners who will share in more than $200,000 in cash and prizes. One of the regional winners will be named the Grand Prize Recipe Winner and receive $10,000 in cash and $2,000 to share with a local charity as well as a three-day trip for two to the 2019 New York City Wine & Food Festival, the premier food and wine event celebrating America’s favorite foods.
Recognizing the surplus of talent and creativity from coast to coast, this year’s competition honors 10 Regional Recipe Winners, two from each region, who will each receive $5,000 in cash and $1,000 to share with a local charity of their choice. General Mills will also travel to each regional winner’s hometown to host a festive celebration at their restaurant or food truck so their communities can share in the excitement.
“When we launched this contest five years ago, we knew there was a wealth of talent and innovation in those independent spots that locals love and visitors flock to, but we continue to be amazed at the outstanding food and commitment to local communities that we find each year,” said Alyca Judge, senior marketing manager for General Mills Foodservice, which partners with restaurants to provide back-of-house products, recipe inspiration and culinary support. “This year’s winners truly exemplify the spirit of good food and good deeds, and we can’t wait to visit each of them in their hometowns.”
This year’s Regional Winners* are:
- West Region:
- Nick Shipp, Executive Chef and Partner, Upper West Restaurant in Santa Monica, California, for his Lamb Chili Bolognese with Macaroni and Whipped Goat Cheese
- Todd Skinner, Food Service Manager of Chuckwagon in Surprise, Arizona, for his Cowboy Cookie Sandwich
- North Central Region:
- Nancy Butcher, Operations Consultant/Baker, Nutcracker Family Restaurant in Pataskala, Ohio, for her Banana Crème Cake
- Zach Wulfekuhle, Manager and Cook, DT’s Pub and Primetime Pizza in Fayette, Iowa, for his Bourbon Chicken and Waffle Sliders
- Northeast Region:
- Richard Spurlock, Banquet and Catering Chef, JD’s Pub & Grille in Smithville, New Jersey, for his Red Hot Waffle with Buffalo Shrimp and Yogurt Dipping Sauce
- Leslie Wyman, Cook, Byrnes’ Irish Pub in Bath and Brunswick, Maine, for her Lucky Charms™ Cheesecake
- South Central Region:
- Brooke May, Owner, Hecho en Queso food truck in Salado, Texas, for her Black Bean and Corn Empanadas with Spicy Yogurt Dip
- Suzanne Raiford, Owner and Chef, Daisy’s Lunchbox in Searcy, Arkansas, for her Strawberry Almond Shortcake Roll
- Southeast Region:
- Kevin Brown, Executive Chef of SELECT Restaurant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, for his Strawberry Pandowdy
- Laura Smith, Co-owner, The Biscuit and the Bean in Winterville, North Carolina, for her Pear Tart
“We were thrilled to double the excitement and the number of winners in our 5th annual contest to recognize more talented cooks, chefs and restaurant owners,” Judge added. “Every finalist offered an innovative and delicious recipe, taking advantage of the convenience, ease and consistency of General Mills’ products to create a standout item.”
New this year, the recipe winners will have the opportunity to win an additional $1,000 for their charity when the contest opens up a social voting element on Facebook August 12-16. During this time, fans can cast their vote for their favorite or hometown recipe by “liking” a photo of one of the 10 winning recipes. The recipe with the most “likes” will be announced the week of Aug. 19. In addition, the Grand Prize Winner of the recipe contest will be announced on Aug. 26 at www.NeighborhoodtoNation.com.
Recipes for the Neighborhood to Nation Recipes Contest were judged based on taste, appearance, creativity and foodservice viability. The contest was created to inspire culinary creativity among independent restaurants and food trucks, giving operators an opportunity to experiment with high-quality and consistent products from General Mills Foodservice as well as access to trend information, insights and ideas to help them differentiate their menus and delight their diners. For more information on the contest, please visit www.neighborhoodtonation.com.
About General Mills Convenience & Foodservice
The General Mills Convenience & Foodservice division serves the convenience, foodservice and bakery industries by providing quality products from time-trusted brands along with culinary, nutrition education and marketing resources to help operators succeed. Its distinguished brand portfolio includes Big G Cereals, Yoplait, Nature Valley, Gold Medal, Pillsbury, Chex Mix, Bugles, Gardetto’s and Annie’s. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, the division had fiscal 2019 net sales of $1.97 billion. For more information, please visit www.generalmillscf.com.
*Profiles for the Regional Recipe Winners and photography of their award-winning recipes are available upon request, or visit www.neighborhoodtonation.com.
