Brownsville duo honored at 2024 H-E-B Quest for Texas Best competition

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Brownsville natives Gerardo and Daisy Alcazar were recognized Thursday in the 11th annual H-E-B Quest for Texas Best competition.

The Alcazar family was chosen as a top finalist from over 450 submissions of local businesses across Texas for their family recipe of mini frozen paleta treats.

Inspired by their roots, the duo opened La Pale Frozen Fruit Bar in 2019 to share their family recipe with Brownsville residents.

In honor of their Mexican family tradition, the duo claimed the opportunity to share their treats beyond the Rio Grande Valley infront of a panel of judges at the Dallas Fair Park.

Each year, H-E-B chooses four winners from the top 10 finalists for a chance to claim the Texas Best title and have their product on store shelves statewide.

"A big, Texas-sized congratulations to each of this year’s winners and our finalists – small businesses that keep our communities vibrant and drive innovation across our state,” said James Harris, Sr. Director of Diversity & Inclusion and Supplier Diversity for H-E-B.

The 2024 H-E-B Quest for Texas Best winners are the following:

• Grand Prize Winner: Birria Queen's Birria Seasoning Bombs, Austin
• First Place Winner: Hess Street Foods' Chorizo seasoning paste, San Antonio
• Second Place Winner: Certified Country Lemonade's Frozen Lemonade & Sweet Tea, Austin
• Third Place Winner: Encina's Blue Corn Butterscotch Pancake Mix, Dallas

"We continue to be impressed by the passionate entrepreneurial spirit our finalists showcase, and we look forward to sharing their creative products with more Texans," Harris added.