It\u2019s not quite a Michelin star, but a Haltom City company offering\u00a0authentic Mexican ice cream and desserts scooped up the grand prize in H-E-B\u2019s 13th annual Quest for Texas Best competition.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sol Dias Ice Cream, a family-owned Mexican ice cream company founded in 2020 by Victor and Stacey Garcia, took home the grand price of $50,000, along with placement on H\u2011E\u2011B shelves for the company\u2019s fruit paletas.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On Oct. 8, the finalists pitched their products and shared the stories behind their businesses before a panel of judges selected by H\u2011E\u2011B in San Antonio. On Friday, H\u2011E\u2011B named the winners of its 13th annual Quest for Texas Best, celebrating five standout small businesses and the Texas-made products set to earn a highly coveted spot on the grocery\u2019s shelves.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sol Dias was selected from a record-breaking 978 entries representing more than 500 companies statewide. The five top companies selected will share $110,000 in cash prizes, with grand prize recipient Sol Dias earning the title of Texas Best.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTexas entrepreneurs bring bold ideas and exceptional products to communities across our state,\u201d said James Harris Sr., director of diversity and inclusion and supplier diversity for H\u2011E\u2011B. \u201cBecause H\u2011E\u2011B began as a small business, we understand the difference that meaningful support and access can make. Through Quest for Texas Best, we are honored to champion these innovators as they take the next step in building their businesses and reaching more customers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Victor Garcia, co-founder and CEO, learned the art of paleta-making from his entrepreneurial parents, bagging their wares as a boy, and built Sol Dias around the sweetness of their hometown: Mexticac\u00e1n, Jalisco, considered the birthplace of paleta. Lengthy churning and a handful of real ingredients give every bar its creamy texture and big fruit chunks.\u00a0<\/p>\n