At South by Southwest, H-E-B throws a dinner in disguise

South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, has become a mecca for influencers and innovation in all industries, and now we can add Texas favorite H-E-B to the list. The San Antonio-based grocery retailer surprised SXSW attendees who attended a gourmet dinner hosted by “ITK Restaurant Group” at the elegant Hotel Saint Cecilia that was revealed to be prepared by none other than the chefs of H-E-B. (“ITK” got its name from the company’s “In the Kitchen” content series inspiring customers to cook from home.)

“We leveraged this dining surprise as an opportunity to showcase our amazing quality and assortment of ingredients and the culinary expertise within H-E-B,” said Martin Otto, chief merchant officer, H-E-B. “Through this unveiling, we wanted to demonstrate anyone can host this same culinary experience at home with access to the extraordinary ingredients and services from H-E-B.”

The dinner for 85 guests started with cocktails and proceeded to the evening’s main event – a luxurious six-course dinner featuring dishes ranging from Black Garlic Winter Squash Risotto to Ginger Halibut Ceviche. As buzz and chatter about ITK Restaurant Group grew and the meal neared its final course, the team of H-E-B chefs surprised guests as the creators behind the culinary creations carried out H-E-B shopping baskets filled with ingredients used throughout the meal.

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