The Neighborhood to Nation Recipe Contest is back bigger and better than ever, giving independent family or “neighborhood” restaurants and food trucks the chance to win up to $80,000 in cash and prizes and bring hometown pride to their own communities. For the fourth year, General Mills Foodservice is celebrating independent restaurant operators and seeking out recipes for the one-of-a-kind dishes that showcase their local flavor.
The only foodservice recipe contest of its kind, the 2018 Neighborhood to Nation Recipe Contest will honor five Regional Recipe Winners who will each receive $5,000 in cash and an additional $1,000 to share with a charity of their choice in their community. One of the five regional winners will also be named the Grand Prize Recipe Winner and receive an additional $25,000 in cash and $5,000 to share with a local charity as well as a three-day trip for two to the 2018 New York City Wine & Food Festival, the premier food and wine event that celebrates America’s favorite foods.
General Mills will travel to each of the Regional Recipe Winners’ hometowns to bring the contest excitement to their doorstep. The winners’ staff, customers and community will all be invited to a special check presentation/celebratory event that will take place at their restaurant in August after the winners are announced.
“Independent restaurants are the heart and soul of their communities, so we couldn’t be more delighted to host a big hometown celebration in their honor,” says Alyca Judge, senior marketing manager for General Mills Foodservice. “We look forward to bringing the national spotlight to the winners’ neighborhoods to celebrate these much-anticipated award-winning dishes.”
The contest is open to foodservice operators, chefs and line cooks who develop and prepare recipes for menu items served at independent, commercial restaurants or food trucks. Beginning March 1, participants may submit their original recipes using at least one ingredient from General Mills’ list of eligible foodservice products.
“General Mills is proud to work with restaurants and help them serve up their customer’s favorite menu items, but it is the independent operator’s talent, creativity and local flavor that are truly the ingredients to success,” says Judge. “The Neighborhood to Nation Recipe Contest was created to shine the spotlight on the amazing cuisine that is served up on independent restaurant menus in neighborhoods across the nation as well as the important role these restaurants play in our communities.”
Contest Details
From March 1 to April 30, 2018, participants may log on to www.neighborhoodtonation.com to submit recipes for an appetizer, entrée or dessert. They must use one ingredient from General Mills Foodservice’s participating brands: Pillsbury (biscuits, puff pastry and pie dough), Gold Medal (baking mixes), Yoplait (yogurt) and Mountain High (yogurt).
Recipes will be judged based on taste, appearance, creativity and foodservice viability. Five Regional Recipe Winners (representing the West, North Central, South Central, Northeast and Southeast) will be announced in August as well as the Grand Prize Recipe Winner.
Neighborhood to Nation was created to inspire culinary creativity among independent restaurants and food trucks, giving operators an opportunity to experiment with high-quality and consistent products from General Mills Foodservice as well as exclusive access to trend information, insights and ideas to help them differentiate their menus and delight their diners.
