Texas’ most popular grocery chain, HEB, has completed its search for the next generation of Texas-made products to hit its shelves, and a Utopia brand in the top 10 emerged victorious. Austin’s Birria Queen has won the grand prize in the search for the best in Texas, receiving $25,000 for their Birria Spice Bombs. Utopia’s Hess Street Foods won first place and $20,000 for his chorizo spice paste.
Also from Austin is Certified Country Lemonade, which won second place and $15,000 for its frozen iced teas and lemonades. Dallas restaurant Encina took third place and $10,000 for its Blue Corn Butterscotch Pancake Mix.
Now in its 11th year, the competition challenges small businesses to find the best of their products in return for $70,000 in cash prizes and placement on HEB shelves across Texas. For the 2024 competition, according to a press release, HEB has received more than 16 hours of video footage from 470 entrepreneurs.
First place winner Hess Street Food makes chorizo easy with a spice blend. The spice paste is based on a family recipe (one of several on the finalist list) that’s easy to scoop out in the amount you need, rather than using single-use packets. Plus, the paste is vegan, so it’s easy to make at home as a substitute.
Hess Street Foods represents the San Antonio area with its chorizo seasoning paste.
Hess Street Foods/Instagram
Big winner Birria Queen represents a change in Austin, which is becoming a second-tier birria destination after Los Angeles. Founder and former Californian Donelle Mendoza noticed birria tacos were becoming scarce here in 2018 and developed a spice bomb—a densely packed ball of spices—to deliver the right flavors without measuring or “mess.” In addition to birria spices, Birria Queen also makes chili bombs.
Second place winnerCertified Country Lemonade remains mostly classic, using a 100-year-old family recipe. Now that the wooden stand has grown into a manufacturing operation, more than 25 flavors are made with fresh-squeezed lemons and local honey. Frozen lemonades and teas are the newest offering, packaged in pouches for sipping or cups for enjoying with a spoon, like sorbet. Flavors include strawberry sweet tea, jalapeño lemonade and “Bubba Peach” lemonade.
These frozen lemonades and sweet teas can be eaten with a spoon.Photo courtesy of Certified Country Lemonade via HEB
In Dallas, where Quest is based, third place Encina beat out three other finalists. It was the only restaurant on the list and its unique blue corn pancakes are a popular menu item along with other New American cuisine dishes. The other Dallas businesses did not place: HydroNation offers electrolyte-rich sports drinks made from purely natural ingredients; Marasi Food presents frozen naan pockets with enough ingredients for a complete meal; and Sarape treats presents candies coated with the typical chamoy paste and spice mixture.
The HEB Quest for Texas Best 2024 finalists were:
- BeeKing’s – Honey Dust – Canton
- Birria Queen – Birria Spice Bombs – Austin
- Certified Country Lemonade – Frozen Lemonade and Sweet Tea – Austin
- Encina – Blue Corn and Butterscotch Pancake Mix – Dallas
- Hess Street Foods – Chorizo Seasoning Paste – Utopia
- HydroNation – Natural Sports Drinks – Dallas
- La Pale Frozen Fruit Bar – Mini Frozen Paletas – Brownsville
- Marasi Foods – Frozen Stuffed Naan Bread – Dallas (Allen)
- Sarape Treats – Chamoy Candy – Dallas
- Rice Mills in Texas ~ Home of Honestly Texas – Rice – Brookshire
In 2023, a Houston-based company called PhoLicioustook home the top prize for its instant pho. Austin-based Funky Mellow, a vegan company that makes snack packs with pretzels and vanilla marshmallow creme, was one of 10 finalists but ultimately did not win a prize.
Austin’s last win was in 2022, when Love&Cookies took first place for its gourmet frozen cookie dough. Since then, HEB has added the product to its lineup and the company has opened a new location on South Lamar Boulevard.
San Antonio’s last win was in 2019, when Grain4Grain took third place. The company made low-carb, low-protein, low-fiber pancake and waffle mixes using recycled spent grain from local microbreweries. It donated pound-for-pound flour to the San Antonio Food Bank and Hill Country Daily Bread. The company is no longer active.
“Small businesses drive innovation and keep our communities vibrant, which is why our goal is to find and support the best small businesses in Texas,” said James Harris, senior director of diversity and inclusion and supplier diversity at HEB. “We are thrilled each year with the creative products submitted to the contest and look forward to offering these imaginative products to our customers.”
For more information about the entrants and product lists of past winners, visit heb.com.
This story about the finalists was originally published on July 30, 2024 and was updated on August 9 to reflect the winners.
