AUSTIN, Texas — A product made by a small business from Austin will soon be featured on H-E-B grocery store shelves across the state.
Birria Seasoning Bombs, made by Austin-based Birria Queen, has been announced as the Grand Prize winner of the 2024 H-E-B Quest for Texas Best, beating out nine other businesses and products. For winning the grand prize, the business will receive $25,000 and earn placement on H-E-B store shelves.
Founded by Austin local Donelle Mendoza, the Birria Seasoning Bombs resemble popular "bath bombs" and are meant to help those craving birria make "authentic, flavorful dishes without the hassle and the mess."
Another Austin-area business, Certified Country Lemonade's Frozen Lemonade & Sweet Tea, earned the second prize. Certified Country Lemonade's Frozen Lemonade & Sweet Tea uses a 100-year-old family recipe adapted to create a full line of more than 25 flavors of lemonade and sweat teas.
As the second-runner up, Certified Country Lemonade will be given $15,000.
The first prize winner was the Chorizo seasoning paste from Utopia, Texas-based Hess Street Foods. Dallas-based Encina's Blue Corn Butterscotch Pancake Mix finished as the third-runner up. Those businesses won $20,000 and $10,000, respectively.
H-E-B said since the launch of the Quest for Texas Best competition 10 years ago, more than 1,000 products have made it to store shelves. The company has awarded $2.2 million in prize money, as well as marketing, mentoring and other support.
The full list of finalists can be found here.