Bon appétit!
Dallas macaron maker takes sweet title as Texas' best in H-E-B competition
Toutes nos felicitations — congratulations, for you non-Francophiles out there — are in order for Dallas’ own Savor Pâtisserie.
The local bakery just snagged the $25,000 grand prize in H-E-B’s Quest for Texas Best competition, which honors top-notch products from businesses around the state. The San Antonio-based grocery chain lauded Savor Pâtisserie for its French macarons.
Kelli Watts, who is half French but was born and raised in Texas, developed her own version of the French macaron and opened the first Savor Pâtisserie location in 2016. Today, the bakery operates four shops in Dallas-Fort Worth (two in Dallas, one each in McKinney and Fort Worth) and sells macarons to online buyers across the country.
H-E-B says Watts’ “beautifully delicious” treats are gluten-free and under 100 calories each. Flavors include vanilla, strawberry, lemon, pistachio, s’mores, cookies ’n’ cream, and birthday cake.
This year’s Quest for Texas Best competition drew more than 1,200 product entries. Savor Pâtisserie was among four winners, whose products will be sold by H-E-B.
“Each year we are amazed by what Texans bring to this competition. Despite the disruption of COVID-19, these entrepreneurs demonstrated creativity, determination, and perseverance in pursuit of growing their businesses,” James Harris, director of diversity and inclusion and supplier diversity at H-E-B, says in a news release.
Savor Pâtisserie wasn’t the only Dallas winner in this year’s H-E-B competition. Howdy Homemade Ice Cream grabbed the $10,000 third prize for its Dr Pepper Chocolate Chip ice cream. Tom Landis and Coleman Jones founded the business.
“Howdy Homemade Ice Cream is renowned for its iconic Dr Pepper Chocolate Chip ice cream and its mission to change the way businesses hire people with special needs,” H-E-B says. “With two locations in Dallas [and] five more on the way, Howdy Homemade Ice Cream also works with numerous special needs organizations to hire, train, and employ people with Down syndrome and autism.”
First place (and $20,000) went to 2F Akaushi Beef, purveyor of Texas wagyu ground beef. It’s located in the Rio Grande Valley town of Santa Elena. The natural, hormone-free, no-antibiotic beef is a blend of chuck, rump, and steak trimmings.
H-E-B awarded second place (and $15,000) to Austin-based Bhoomi for its enhanced sugarcane water. The company’s founders are Arpit and Elora Bhopalkar.
Bhoomi offers a line of rehydrating cold-pressed cane elixirs mixed with ancient Ayurvedic super-botanicals for recovery, immunity, and superfood properties. Flavors of the Paleo-certified water include ginger, turmeric, and moringa.