H-E-B launches locally sourced beer bread, buns
San Antonio-based H-E-B has launched new own brand bread items, partnering with a hometown producer of spent grain and flour mixes that won recognition in the H-E-B Quest for Texas contest in 2019.
The newly launched products include H-E-B Spent Grain Beer Bread, and buns for hot dogs and burgers, which launched in 150 H-E-B bakeries across Texas. H-E-B worked with artisan company Grain4Grain to produce the products. The products are high in fiber and made with a sustainable flour.
Grain4Grain developed a way to take spent grain from local microbreweries and upcycle it into a healthful flour that is carb-free and high in protein and flour. The company’s branded, low-carb pancake and waffle mix was a third-place finisher in the 2019 H-E-B Quest for Texas contest that seeks to support local businesses. The company earned a $10,000 prize to help further their business.
“This is our way of doing something good for the planet, and we’re really proud to have H-E-B as our first big wholesale account,” said Yoni Medhin, co-founder of Grain4Grain. “This H-E-B Spent Grain Beer Bread is the premier bread made with our spent grain flour launched under the H-E-B brand. We’re also working with a number of other companies to create healthier, more sustainable, food options made with our sustainable grain and flour, including dog treats.”
The H-E-B Spent Grain Beer Bread and other baked goods made with Grain4Grain’s flour have a natural beer flavor from the microbrew partnership, Medhin added. Currently, Grain4Grain is sourcing their spent grain from San Antonio-based Freetail Brewing Co. and is working on expanding sourcing from other local micro-breweries such as Real Ale Brewery in Blanco, Texas.