{"id":166388,"date":"2026-02-24T01:01:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T01:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/166388\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T01:01:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T01:01:08","slug":"southwest-florida-ag-expo-to-offer-favorite-fair-fare-and-a-whole-lot-more-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/166388\/","title":{"rendered":"Southwest Florida Ag Expo to offer favorite fair fare and a whole lot more!"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The Blue Ribbon Bites Winner for Best of Savory went to Gillette\u2019s Pizza and Lemonade last year for their The Pickled Pig \u2014 a pickle, bacon and ranch pizza. Brian and Sue Gillette, vendors at the county complex for 34 years, went before the panel of judges with samples and a full-size pie. The combo proved to be a hit with attendees as well. PROVIDED<\/p>\n

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The Blue Ribbon Bites Winner for Best of Savory went to Gillette\u2019s Pizza and Lemonade last year for their The Pickled Pig \u2014 a pickle, bacon and ranch pizza. Brian and Sue Gillette, vendors at the county complex for 34 years, went before the panel of judges with samples and a full-size pie. The combo proved to be a hit with attendees as well. PROVIDED<\/p>\n

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Food vendors at the Southwest Florida Ag Expo will once again compete for the Blue Ribbon Bites award during this year\u2019s event to be held from Thursday, Feb. 26, through Sunday, March 8, at Mike Greenwell Regional Park.<\/p>\n

The two categories last year were for Best of Sweet and Best of Savory. This year, the People\u2019s Choice Award for the Blue Ribbon Bites will be added.\u00a0<\/p>\n

John Rios and Saryan Velez of Cocoa Berries entered the sweet category with their Dubai Viral Strawberry Chocolate.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are trying to do something new and creative to surprise the judges and the customers,\u201d Rios said.<\/p>\n

He said it is not just a cup of strawberries, but rather a beautiful experience that attendees can appreciate when tasting the treat.<\/p>\n

The dessert uses fresh strawberries with Dubai chocolate, kataifi, crumbs, and chocolate of their choice \u2013 hazelnut chocolate, white chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, pistachios chocolate or Ferrero rocher.<\/p>\n

Last year was the first year the couple became a vendor at the expo.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone mentioned the fair, and it was amazing,\u201d Rios said, adding that the whole team was amazing and gave them the opportunity. \u201cWe were part of the family.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple has been in the chocolate business for about a decade. His wife Velez is the chef.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe put our knowledge together to try to expand and then we traveled to Naples Collier County Fair, Fort Myers, Georgia and private events,\u201d Rios said.<\/p>\n

They live in Lehigh Acres and do such events as art galleries.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery event that is available, that is where we go. We don\u2019t have a store front. We do events. Our goal is only to do fairs. That is where we can be ourselves and expand to everybody,\u201d Rios said. \u00a0<\/p>\n

The Blue Ribbon Bites Winner for Best of Savory went to Gillette\u2019s Pizza and Lemonade for their The Pickled Pig \u2014 pickle, bacon and ranch pizza.<\/p>\n

Brian and Sue Gillette have been a vendor at the county complex for 34 years with their business, Gillette\u2019s Pizza and Lemonade. Brian said the fair was the first event they booked while still in college after starting the business.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe we are the oldest vendor there,\u201d he said. \u201cWe absolutely love the area. We love the people, 4H, the Expo, and the administration is great to work with. They are just wonderful. They care a great deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian said before the Expo opened last year, they made their product for the panel of judges. They brought in samples and a full-size pickle, bacon and ranch pizza.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt absolutely helped,\u201d Brian said of having the ribbon displayed.<\/p>\n

The couple\u2019s idea of a pickle pizza came from seeing something online six years ago when pickles started becoming trendy in the cooking world. Brian said the Southwest Florida Ag Expo was their first introduction of the pizza.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the people from 4H tried it and talked to some other people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The word got out and others started visiting their trailer asking for \u201csome kind of pickle pizza.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first day, they made two pies, the second three pies and then they began running out of pickles it became so popular.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have fairs where it makes up half of our pizza sales,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He said being a vendor at a fair is a very unique business, as half the people come to ride rides and 100% eat something or drink something while there.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are trying to fill that category with something unique and high quality. We take a tremendous amount of pride in what we do,\u201d Brian said.<\/p>\n

That pride comes in buying the most expensive cheese and ingredients every day, or few days.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe support local and buy local. We make it fresh to order, inspected by the Health Department. It\u2019s a legitimate business,\u201d Brian said.<\/p>\n

Gillette\u2019s Pizza and Lemonade also offers other entrees as calzones, baked pasta, and stromboli.<\/p>\n

He said this year they are adding a new item for the contest \u2013 buffalo chicken and Philly cheesesteak pinwheels. Brian said they are rolled up like a cinnamon roll and baked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it is going to be a big hit,\u201d he said, adding that the attendees of the Ag Expo will be the guinea pigs.<\/p>\n

The family-owned business travels from February through November to fairs from across the country from New York to Florida. Their first event is the Southwest Florida Ag Expo.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce Memorial Day hits, we are busy until Nov. 1,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Brian started in the business as a 7-year-old working for his grandparents, who owned a barbecue restaurant in upstate New York. He would pour drinks and work at the fair. He said he and his wife bought their first concessionaire trailer and began a pizza business more than 30 years ago.<\/p>\n

Mike Greenwell Regional Park, formerly the Lee County Civic center complex, is at 11831 Bayshore Road<\/a>, at the intersection of Babcock Ranch Road in North Fort Myers.<\/p>\n


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