For the last eleven years, H-E-B has set out on a quest to find the best in Texas – the best local products made by Texans, according to the brand’s website. From the Panhandle to the Rio Grande Valley, from West Texas to Beaumont, the H-E-B “Quest for Texas Best” is an open call for locally owned, small food, beverage, and general merchandise suppliers to have their items considered for placement on H-E-B shelves and $25,000 in their pocket.

“Our brand Honestly Texas Rice has been selected as one of the top 10 finalists in HEB's Quest for Texas Best,” said Pamela Wostarek-West, company principal of Texas Rice Milling/Brookshire Drying Co. “We are the only product for the Houston/Katy/Brookshire area to make to the finals.”

“Out of 470 entries Honestly Texas Rice was selected as one of the top 10 Texas best products!” said West on her LinkedIn page. “We are busy preparing for the finals to be held in August and are blessed to be included with nine other fantastic entries! Wish us luck and cheers to the Texas Rice Farmers.”

The company is located at 1019 Bains, Brookshire, TX 77423.

The product description on the contest website reads:

“Honestly Texas proudly offers sustainably grown rice, nurtured by Texas farmers committed to conservation and quality. Grown in Texas using innovative water-saving techniques, Texas Rice Milling’s rice fields double as wildlife habitats during the off-season, supporting biodiversity. Dried, milled, and

packaged locally, its farm-to-fork traceability ensures transparency from field to table. By choosing Honestly Texas Rice, customers support Texas-grown products that are safe, sustainable, and contribute to local ecosystems.”

On August 9 at Fair Park in Dallas, the ten finalists will present their products and share their stories in front of a panel of judges selected by H-E-B. The judges will determine the four winning products and award $25,000 to the Grand Prize winner, which will be named the “Texas Best,” and earn placement on store shelves. The first-place winner will be awarded $20,000, $15,000 will go to the second-place winner, and $10,000 to the third-place winner.

“Small businesses drive innovation and keep our communities vibrant, which is why we are dedicated to finding and supporting the best small businesses in Texas,” said James Harris, Sr. Director of Diversity & Inclusion and Supplier Diversity for H-E-B. “We are amazed year after year by the creative products submitted for the competition and look forward to making these inventive products available to our customers.”

Since the launch of the competition in 2014, more than 1,000 unique food items, beverages, and general merchandise have made it to store shelves at H-E-B. For the annual competition, H-E-B has awarded $2.2 million in prize money along with marketing, mentoring, and supplemental support and presented 55 Quest for Texas Best suppliers with a commemorative H-E-B Million Dollar Club belt buckle for achieving $1 million in sales.