Mi New Favorite Snack Competition announces finalists

McKenna Golat, Port Huron Times Herald
·3 min read

The 20 finalists for the Mi Favorite Snack Competition have been announced.

The first Mi Favorite Snack Competition will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sept. 17 at Vantage Point. The competition was created in partnership with the Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce, the Community Foundation of St. Clair County and All-Star Services. Hale Walker, chairman for the Community Foundation of St. Clair County, said everyone involved in the competition is excited.

“The goal is to have (the competition) grow,” he said. “This is not just for Port Huron and St. Clair County, it’s for the whole state of Michigan.”

The prize for first place is $30,000 and a distribution contract with All-Star Services. The finalists were whittled down from 50 applications. All-Star Services chose them based off engagement with customers, branding, marketability, taste and company story.

Beth Welser, owner of Dot’s Candy Bar in St. Clair, is the only competitor from St. Clair County. She sells baked good at the Vantage Point Farmers Market. Her featured snack in the competition is a peanut butter chocolate bar.

Welser said she is proud and excited to represent St. Clair County.

“There’s such a wide array of people from around the state and it’s very exciting to be competing with these people,” she said.

She entered the competition to let more people know about her business.

Additionally, Welser will be leasing a space in the Wrigley Center and will be opening a Dot’s Candy Bar storefront. She said she is excited to open. The estimated opening is set for Dec. 15.

The community is welcome to the event. For $10, people can purchase a wrist band that lets people enjoy free samples from each competitor. Otherwise, the competitors will have snacks for people to purchase.

Here are the competitors and their snacks:

  • 4 C’s Cookies and More LLC, Connie McDermott, Hersey- Chocolate Chip Cookie

  • Chunk Nibbles, Brad Cocklin, Troy- Original Chunk Nibble Mix

  • Dave's Sweet Tooth Toffee, Andrew Chmielewski, Harrison Township- Milk Chocolate Toffee

  • Dot's Candy Bar, Beth Welser, St. Clair- Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar

  • Downey's Potato Chips, Kali Bagley, Waterford- Original Sea Salt

  • Emme's Plantain Chips, Emme Eknam, Wyoming- Masala Plantain Chip

  • Ferry Farms, Stefan Schmelzer, Litchfield- Sweet and Spicy Beef Stick

  • Fry Daddy's Brand, Morgan Buehler, Spring Lake- Original Snack Mix

  • Great Lakes Snack Co., Jill Denkins, Manistique- Candied Pecans

  • Live Crispy, David Shammas, Ferndale- Coconut+Pineapple Crisp

  • Mr. Leslie's Cheesecake, Marcus Leslie, Lansing- Turtle Cheesecake

  • The Muddy Buddy Boys, Mitch French, Montrose- S’Mores

  • Pop City Popcorn, Becky Bil, Kalamazoo- Crosstown Crunch

  • Popside Snacks, Jeff Dinser, Whitmore Lake- Freeze Dried Gummy Worms

  • Rising Hope Bakery, Gary Waxler, Inkster- Oatmeal Fruit Cookie

  • Sherman's Tennessee Hot Crackers, Pam Lenning, St. Clair Shores- Oatmeal Fruit Cookie

  • Sweet Encounter Bakery, Nikki Thompson Frazier, Lansing- Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bar

  • Wani Cakes, Anwelli Okpue, Dearborn -Berry Summer Cakewich

  • Why Bars, Chris Forte, Birmingham - Blueberry Bliss

  • Yell Sweets, Danielle Jackson, Shelby Township- CinnaWhat Bun Cupcake

Contact McKenna Golat at mgolat@gannett.com or (810) 292-0122.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Mi New Favorite Snack Competition finalists announced