Two Austin-area businesses among finalists for H-E-B Quest for Texas Best contest

Hannah Ortega, Austin American-Statesman
·1 min read
Wella Grain Free from Lockhart residents Bernardo Garza, Deborah Nease and Glenn Nease is a finalist in H-E-B's Quest for Texas Best competition.
Wella Grain Free from Lockhart residents Bernardo Garza, Deborah Nease and Glenn Nease is a finalist in H-E-B's Quest for Texas Best competition.

Two Austin-area snack businesses are in the running to win a coveted spot on H-E-B's shelves.

H-E-B has hosted the Quest for Texas Best competition every year since 2014, and it's brought almost 1,000 new products into the famous grocer's stores. This year, Funky Mello from Austin residents Delisa and Zach Harper and Wella Grain Free from Lockhart residents Bernardo Garza, Deborah and Glenn Nease are among the 10 competition finalists.

Funky Mello is nominated specifically for its Sweet N Salty Dippsterz, which features a small pack of pretzel sticks with a plant-based marshmallow creme dipping sauce. Wella Grain Free is nominated for its grain-free cereal, which comes from flavors such as apple cinnamon, pumpkin spice and cranberry pecan.

Zach Harper (left) and Delisa Harper (right) of Funky Mello.
Zach Harper (left) and Delisa Harper (right) of Funky Mello.

Funky Mello, Wella Grain Free and the other finalists will face a panel of judges at Fair Park in Dallas on Aug. 9. The judges will select four winners, with the grand prize "Texas Best" winner earning a spot on H-E-B shelves as well as $25,000. The first-place winner will receive $20,000, while the second-place winner will take home $15,000 and the third-place winner will snag $10,000.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Funky Mello, Wella Grain Free among finalists for H-E-B contest