PLANO, Texas -- Lay’s—one of the marquee brands from PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division—has announced Lay’s Southern Biscuits & Gravy flavored potato chips as this year’s “Do Us A Flavor” champion. Hailey Green, who submitted the idea for Lay’s Southern Biscuits & Gravy, will take home a $1 million grand prize or 1% of her winning flavor’s net sales through July 15, 2016, whichever is higher.
Lay’s Southern Biscuits & Gravy flavored chips also will remain on store shelves following the completion of the contest.
As a travel agent, Green has many opportunities to sample local flavors when exploring a new city. She has a great appreciation for each locale’s “homemade style,” because it reminds her of her own childhood, filled with memories of eating southern food in her grandmother’s kitchen. One of Green’s favorite dishes is biscuits and gravy—a recipe that was handed down in her family generation after generation. This family favorite also inspired her million-dollar winning potato chip idea.
The three runner-up finalists: Angie Fu from Irvine, Calif., who submitted West Coast Truffle Fries; Jeff Solensky from DuBois, Pa., who submitted New York Reuben; and James Wagner from Wichita Falls, Texas, who submitted Greektown Gyro, each will receive $50,000 in prize money.
The Lay’s brand also announced that it will look for opportunities to bring one or more of the three runner-up flavors back to store shelves for limited-time appearances following the completion of the contest.
In July 2012, the Lay’s brand launched its first “Do Us A Flavor” contest in the United States, which resulted in Lay’s Cheesy Garlic Bread, submitted by Karen Weber-Mendham, a children’s librarian from Land O’Lakes, Wis., being selected as the first million-dollar winner. The contest returned to the U.S. for a second time in January 2014 with Lay’s Kettle Cooked Wasabi Ginger, submitted by Meneko Spigner McBeth of Deptford, N.J., crowned the winner.
Lay's potato chips is one of the billion-dollar brands that makes up Frito-Lay North America, the $14 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo, Purchase, N.Y. It generated more than $66 billion in net revenue in 2014, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
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