Congratulations to Mary Jane Hegley of Charleston, South Carolina! Her flavor Southern Hospitality was chosen as the winner of the Blue Bell Taste of the Country Flavor Contest.
Southern Hospitality will be produced by Blue Bell exactly as it was proposed by Hegley- a mixture of Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream with crushed pineapples, roasted pecans and a strawberry sauce swirl. It will be manufactured in half gallons by Blue Bell later this year or in early 2008.
Hegley was inspired by South Carolina’s tradition of displaying the pineapple as a symbol of hospitality, welcome, friendliness, conviviality and warmth. She says in her contest entry, “The Pineapple Fountain, a huge, tiered pineapple shaped fountain, is the centerpiece at Waterfront Park in Charleston. It is a welcoming symbol of hospitality to those visiting our charming city.”
As the grand prize winner, Hegley and her family were flown to Brenham and given VIP status at the company’s “A Day in the Country” celebration in July. The Hegley family received a special tour of the Blue Bell manufacturing facility as soon as they arrived. Hegley even had the opportunity to mix a small batch of her winning flavor in the company’s research and development lab. Also, Hegley was introduced to the crowd at “A Day in the Country”. Blue Bell CEO and President Paul Kruse presented Hegley with a framed certificate and photos to commemorate her win and trip to Brenham. Afterwards the first batch of Southern Hospitality was available for everyone to sample.
Hegley’s flavor competed against 16 other state finalists in the Taste of the Country Flavor Contest. Overall, Blue bell received more than 2,600 entries. The 17 state winners were chosen based on creativity, taste appeal and state representation. The contestants were inspired by geography, local culture and dessert traditions, just to name a few. The flavor concepts and ideas were outstanding from all state entries!
The winners from each state received a gift pack which included a year’s supply of Blue Bell Ice Cream and an ice cream party at their home, office or other chosen location.
You can find a complete list of winners from each state listed below.
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