LOCKHART, Texas — Inside the only three-story, red brick building in Downtown Lockhart are the co-owners of the Culinary Room, a gourmet food market that also features a bakery and offers catering.
Alex Worthington and Alana Chandler talked to KVUE about their rapidly growing business while wrapping muffins in the kitchen they have now outgrown.
They credit another Texas company with their start: H-E-B.
"They've really put us on the map and have made all of this possible," Worthington said.
The two came in secind place in H-E-B's "Quest For Texas Best" contest in 2016.
"It blew up from there," Chandler said.
Soon after, the pair sold $1 million worth of queso, which spurred the company's growth, leading to the new Culinary Factory just outside Downtown Lockhart off Highway 183.
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The two friends first came up with the idea for all-natural queso in 2015, during a tailgating party.
"My great friend and I were discussing how food had really evolved at tailgate parties: all-beef franks, there was all natural things," Chandler said. "There was craft beers, everything was different for today's dietary concerns, except someone brought queso. And we realized that's the one thing that never evolved from the 1960s, which was oil-based block cheese and then canned tomatoes and green chilis."
The two searched for quesos with fresh chili and dairy options but never found them. Chandler said that's when they set out on a quest to come up with their own recipe and Culinary Cowgirls was born.
KVUE's Jenni Lee visited the Culinary Factory, where workers were busy making the bacon-wrapped jalapeno popper dip. The smell of freshly roasted jalapenos filled the air.
Right now, Culinary Cowgirls makes queso for 233 H-E-B stores in Texas and 123 Safeway stores in the northwest. But in a couple of weeks, this Lockhart company will double their profit – expanding the brand nationwide.
"[We're] overwhelmed, excited and thrilled all at the same time," Worthington said.
Culinary Cowgirls will hit shelves in 500 Food Lion stores, starting in a couple of weeks. In a few months, they'll add another 500 stores.
"It's awesome. It's just like, doubling our business overnight with the half of their stores," Worthington said.
In the meantime, Chandler is maintaining the Culinary Room, where she features other local producers' goods.
"We got lucky that we won the 'Quest for Texas Best' and we took off. Not everyone has that kind of luck. We want to be someone who can assist those small-batch producers," Chandler said.
Expect to see more Culinary Cowgirls soon. Worthington said they have meetings set up with Costco and other stores next month.
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