Texas Pete^® Kitchen Hero Cook-Off Raises $20,000 for Two Charities

The Texas Pete^® Kitchen Hero Cook-Off combined culinary innovation with charitable giving at The Flavor Experience this year, donating a total of $20,000 across two nonprofit organizations while crowning Jessica Bograd, senior director of culinary at City Barbeque, as its 2026 Grand Champion. [Watch the video recap.]

Bograd’s winning recipe was a pan-roasted chicken thigh in chile crisp. “Texas Pete Original Buffalo Sauce and Texas Pete DUST Dry Seasoning were anchors to my dish,” explains Bograd. The Buffalo sauce was used to help tenderize and flavor the chicken when marinated and provided the punch of flavor and bold color in the umami broth. I utilized the Texas Pete DUST as the base for the chile crisp to create a Latin-American fusion to a traditional Asian sauce.”

Now in its 14th year, the Texas Pete Kitchen Hero Cook-Off challenges four chain menu developers to create trend-forward, center-of-the-plate menu items featuring Texas Pete sauces. Competitors are judged by a panel of fellow menu developers.

This year’s competing chefs included:

• Fred Slater, Director of R&D, Executive Chef, Farmer Boys^®
• Jessica Bograd, Senior Director of Culinary, City Barbeque^®
• Alex Gomez, Sr. Sous Chef, Chili’s^®
• Jonathan Buckholz, Corporate Chef, Bloomin’ Brands^®

Judging the competition were:

• Darryl Mickler, Sr. VP of Food & Beverage, Golden Corral^®
• John Hagen, Sr. Director of Culinary & Beverage, Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux^®
• Katherine Wojcik, Director of Programs and Partnerships, IHG^® Hotels and Resorts
• Shane Schaibly, SVP Culinary Strategy/Corporate Chef, First Watch^®

“We’re pleased to have partnered with this annual gathering of top restaurant chain menu developers. The Flavor Experience is unique in its focus on emerging menu trends and innovation,” says Nikki Green, director of national accounts and emerging markets for Garner Foods^®, makers of Texas Pete.

“The competition has historically included a $10,000 donation from Garner Foods^® to Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign. With this new partnership, we expanded our impact by also contributing $10,000 to CORE, which supports foodservice workers facing health or disaster-related challenges,” says Katie Chaffin, director of marketing for Garner Foods.

“While recognition is always appreciated, knowing that I was able to support such great organizations gives it a much deeper purpose,” says Bograd about the honor. “If this win can help make a difference for those who need it most, that’s something I’m truly proud of.”

“Those who attend The Flavor Experience play a key role in shaping what America eats in restaurants nationwide. The Texas Pete Kitchen Hero Cook-Off showcases how menu development chefs bring trending flavors to life in ways that drive both sales and traffic,” says Cathy Nash Holley, president of The Flavor Experience and publisher of Flavor & The Menu.

During the competition, participating chefs opened a mystery box containing a protein and a selection of ingredients, including Texas Pete products. With limited time to ideate, prepare and present their dishes, the competition built to an exciting finish. The 2026 Texas Pete Kitchen Hero Cook-Off Grand Champion was announced on stage during a general session at The Flavor Experience.

About Garner Foods

Headquartered in Winston-Salem, N.C., Garner Foods is a family-owned manufacturer best known for Texas Pete Hot Sauce, one of the leading hot sauce brands in the U.S. Founded in 1929 as a barbecue sauce producer, the company traces its origins to the Dixie Pig restaurant. Today, Garner Foods offers a full portfolio of hot sauces, wing sauces and seafood sauces under the Texas Pete brand, along with salsas and tortilla strips under the Green Mountain Gringo brand. Its products are sold in supermarkets, military commissaries, convenience stores and restaurants throughout the U.S. and internationally. Green Mountain Gringo Salsa was named the “Best Store-Bought Salsa” by the TODAY Show in June 2022.