Louisiana Winn-Dixie Stores Celebrate Carnival
In the spirit of Carnival season, Winn-Dixie is honoring its long-standing heritage in the Louisiana community by celebrating traditions locals know and love. With nearly 67 years of experience serving the state’s diverse communities, Winn-Dixie is committed to commemorating Louisiana’s rich history and time-honored traditions with delicious food, local celebrations and of course by taking part in the biggest celebration of the year, Mardi Gras.
Lynn Rushing, regional vice president for Winn-Dixie, said, “At Winn-Dixie, we are excited to join the Carnival revelry with our local communities again this year! We are incredibly proud of our deep-rooted history in Louisiana, and it is a privilege to honor the culture and community that has supported us since 1956. Winn-Dixie celebrates the diverse traditions and unique foods that make Louisiana truly special – this Carnival season and all year long.”
To help customers easily enjoy a Carnival season staple in a variety of ways, Winn-Dixie is offering freshly baked king cakes in 50 different flavors ranging from traditional cinnamon to varieties that include moist, decadent fillings like cream cheese, strawberry, chocolate and much more. In addition to delicious and unique king cakes, Winn-Dixie is also offering a variety of deli assortments that are perfect for celebrating Mardi Gras, including a variety of flavored wings, live or boiled crawfish and fresh miniature muffulettas.
The neighborhood grocer is committed to bringing the spirit of Mardi Gras to customers throughout the season by hosting several free events to celebrate. Customers can enjoy fun-filled revelry with local favorite foods and community festivities to celebrate while they shop at their neighborhood stores. Attendees will enjoy live entertainment, king cake sampling, product giveaways, family friendly games and more:
Friday, Feb. 10 from 4 – 7 p.m. at the Zachary Winn-Dixie, located at 5005 Church St., Zachary, LA 70791
Saturday, Feb. 11 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Covington Winn-Dixie, located at 2100 Collins Blvd., Suite 132, Covington, LA 70433
Saturday, Feb. 18 from 8 – 11 a.m. at the Algiers Winn-Dixie, located at 3008 Holiday Drive, New Orleans, LA 70131
Saturday, Feb. 18 from 12 – 3 p.m. at the Mid-City Winn-Dixie, located at 401 N. Carrollton Ave., New Orleans, LA 70119
On February 21, Mardi Gras day, Winn-Dixie will join the Krewe of Covington and Krewe of Argus in Metairie to celebrate with parade-goers. The community can enjoy the grocer’s signature throws including specialty beads, SE Grocers snack foods and Winn-Dixie swag items. In Metairie, neighbors are encouraged to look for the Winn-Dixie themed float. Local stores will remain open during normal business hours to serve customers as they celebrate.
With 28 stores in Louisiana and nearly 67 years of experience, Winn-Dixie remains steadfast in its goal to constantly improve the “makin’ groceries” experience for its customers. The grocer is committed to providing extensive selections of homegrown favorites and everyday brands locals love. Last year, Winn-Dixie launched its online shopping platform to save customers more time and money. The platform offers customers the same great promotions, savings and prices found in stores with the convenience of delivery in as little as two hours. For more information, including location availability, customers are encouraged to visit WinnDixie.com.
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Hayashi to Lead Team USA at Bocus d’Or Grande Finale
Hawaiian-born and Arizona-raised Chef Jeffery Hayashi will lead Team USA in the 2023 Bocus d’Or Grande Finale.
The 24 worldwide selected teams will compete Jan. 22-23 in Lyon, France for five hours and 30 minutes in two events: While the platter theme features monkfish and other seafood products, the second test, “Feed the Kids” takes the form of an entire menu based on squash, to raise awareness among children and, through this theme, educate them about healthy eating.
Hayashi left an architecture career after his passion for style and precision led him to discover cooking, landing an apprenticeship with chef and chocolatier Philippe Padovani in Hawaii. In 2014, he was the inaugural executive sous chef at Mourad in San Francisco, which received a Michelin star in its first year of operation. Hayashi qualified for the Grande Finale by winning the 2022 Americas Bocuse d’Or in Chile.
Hayashi is chef de cuisine at Senia Restaurant in Honolulu.
Each team will start at regular intervals beginning at 8 a.m. on Jan. 22. Hayashi is scheduled to start Jan. 23 at 9:57 a.m., finish his Feed the Kids menu by 2:53 p.m. and his seafood platter by 3:27 p.m.
This year, instead of the plate contest, the Bocuse d’Or puts education in food and taste for young people through cooking at the center of the candidates’ work.
Today, cooks play a central role in food and culinary education. In the “Feed the kids” contest, each candidate will have to be creative in producing a squash-based menu for children. Several varieties will be provided by competition partner METRO to create a 100 percent vegetable-based cold starter, a hot dish including an egg and a restaurant dessert style. The candidates will have to redouble their creativity, play with textures and flavors to convince the jury of chefs, supported by children from all around the world.
The platter theme honors monkfish, supplied by partner Seafood From Scotland, accompanied by scallops. To enhance the monkfish, the candidates will have to prepare two vegetable garnishes to be placed on the platter as well as a garnish served separately, made from a vegetable from their country, mussels and an individual crouton of their own composition.
The Bocuse d’Or adventure gathers the world’s gastronomic family and federates more than 5,000 chefs spread across 70 countries. With a local and itinerant approach, the Bocuse d’Or has travelled from city to city throughout the world since 2005 for the national and continental selections: in America (Mexico City, Santiago de Chile, etc.), in Asia (Guangzhou, Shanghai, Singapore, etc.), in Africa (Dakhla, Marrakesh, etc.) and in Europe (Brussels, Budapest, Stockholm, Tallinn, Turin, etc.).
Beyond the geo-tourism implications of the event for the involved countries, the traveling selections serve to promote the gastronomic culture of each region and to highlight the vast diversity of world cuisine.
Before reaching the Grand Finale, each team spends two years training to perfect their skills. This makes the Bocuse d’Or much more than just a competition, it is a genuine human experience that combines self-improvement and team spirit.
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B Lab Certifies Saffron Road Foods as B Corp Company
B Lab has certified Saffron Road Foods as a B Corp company. Founder and CEO Adnan Durrani announced the news on his LinkedIn page.“We have an exciting news blast to break in the new year: WE’RE OFFICIALLY B CORP™ CERTIFIED by B Lab!” he wrote. “Having devoted my career for 30 years to socially conscious, mission-based enterprises, Saffron Road Foods being awarded this publicly recognized seal and certification was quite uplifting for me personally and our entire team professionally.
“Indeed, after over a year of grueling third-party audits of our employment & company practices, our Better For You and clean label foods, our mission of ethical consumerism & sustainable agricultural practices, and our good works & community service, our AWESOME team delivered on our promise of a Journey To Better,” Durrani wrote.
“At Saffron Road, our genetic code has always been mission-driven, on a compassionate and inclusive Journey to Better: better for livestock, better for farmers, better for your health, better for our communities, and better for humanity. B Corps are for-profit companies codified as ‘Public Benefit Corporations,’ so this becomes embedded in our corporate DNA as businesses globally that are committed to the triple bottom line. Saffron Road’s purpose is beyond just one-dimensional profits, meeting the highest levels of standards for social & environmental performance, accountability in terms of profit & purpose, as well as transparency regarding all things such as sourcing, ingredients, and labor.
“It means so much to us at Saffron Road because it recognizes our long-time commitment as a Socially Responsible brand. We now join the ranks of peer B Corp mission-driven brands like Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, Patagonia, EILEEN FISHER, INC., TOMS, Clif Bar & Company, Stonyfield, Danone North America, Ben & Jerry’s, Once Upon a Farm, Seventh Generation, Thrive Market, as well as media giant Bloomberg. The B Corp community works toward reduced inequality, lower levels of poverty, a healthier environment, lower environmental impact, sustainable agriculture, stronger communities, and the creation of more high-quality jobs with dignity and purpose.”
Saffron Road is a leading brand in the natural and organic food industry, offering a wide range of products from frozen entrées and shelf-stable meals to simmer sauces and plant-based protein snacks. All Saffron Road Products are Halal-certified by IFANCA and are available in more than 25,000 retail locations in the United States.
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