September 20, 2008
SOUTH BREWSTER COUNTY—There are green chiles and red ones, orange and yellow ones. Now there is a gold one in Terlingua. It is the Fiery Food Challenge first place trophy won by Whitson Chile Products’ newest offering, Whitson’s Candied Heat sweet jalapenos.
The award was presented at the hugely popular Zest Fest in Fort Worth where Whitson’s set up a booth and entered the Challenge. Also honored was the company’s first product, Whitson’s Moist Chili Seasoning, which took second place in its category.
Zest Fest, sponsored by Chile Pepper Magazine, draws makers of chile-spiked products from all over the state and the nation. Celebrity chefs perform cooking demonstrations from the stage visible to the crowds on jumbo monitors. The air is filled with the unmistakable odors of salsa and relishes, chili and queso dip. In the Fiery Food Challenge hundreds of products are rated by knowledgeable judges and awards are presented at a gala banquet. Winning a coveted Golden Chile Award assures the attention of buyers and public alike.
The first day of Zest Fest, held at the venerable Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth’s famed Cultural District, is given over primarily to the food trade. Here buyers, retailers, chefs, and the media are able to sample the newest, hottest products, inspect new cooking appliances, promotional material, and meet their peers. Later on the public is allowed in to sample and most people come away with armloads of purchases.
This year’s Zest Fest was one of the best attended in years, thanks to extensive TV coverage. Huge crowds packed the aisles, sampling their way from one spicy dish to the next, often finishing up at one of the several groupings of tables near the beer booths.
Whitson’s products are available at the company’s web site, www.whitsonschile.com, and from retailers in West and North Texas. Whitson’s Moist Chili Seasoning is also sold at all Central Market stores in Texas.
Other Press Releases:
July 22, 2010 - California Dreaming
February 9, 2010 - Bourbon Receives Agriculture Grant
July 2, 2008 - Big Bend Chile Company Wows 'Em in New York
Feb. 13, 2008 - Terlingua Gets Hotter
Aug. 11, 2007 - Whitson's Products Cross the Pond
May 8, 2007 - Grant Lets Chile Company Hit the Road
Oct. 29, 2006 - Terlingua Firm Wins Fiery Food Award
