The 27th annual Hastings Tastings event on Monday evening, March 25, was the second largest in history bringing together businesses, volunteers, donors, and community members to fight hunger in the Hastings area. Over $27,000 was raised for the Market Food Shelf at Hastings Family Service as attendees sampled delicious offerings from area restaurants and establishments. The amount raised will make an even greater impact on hunger in the community receiving a proportionate match during Minnesota FoodShare.
Thirteen food and drink establishments shared their culinary talents, staff time, and delicious tastings with 350 guests. This year’s participants were Alexis Bailly Vineyard, American Legion Post #47, Bimi Thai Restaurant, Coborn’s Deli, Culver’s, Dugarel’s Bar and Grill, Hastings Public House, Hastings Raider Nutrition, Lock and Dam Eatery, Me and Julio, Missi’s Sip and Savor, Spiral Brewery, and Spiral Food Co-op. Congratulations to Bimi Thai Restaurant selected as the People’s Choice Award winner by attendees for Best Overall and Best Entrée, Missi’s Sip and Savor for Best Appetizer, Culver’s for Best Dessert, and Alexis Bailly Vineyard for Best Beverage.
According to Kelly Carter, Development and Community Relations Coordinator at HFS who organizes the event, “Every year HFS is blown away by the generosity shown during this event. Our local restaurants donate their time and talents serving top-notch cuisine and beverages, and the community shows up in a big way to attend, volunteer, and donate. This year was another sellout and HFS is so grateful.”
Carter expressed special thanks to event sponsors Merchants Bank and Patsy Nesteby of Modern Woodman Red Wing; St Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church for hosting the event; the HFS Board of Directors for donating the Wall of Wine; Hohenstein Distributing for donating the Bucket of Beer; Hastings Public House for providing the linens and the cash bar; Pastor Randy Berg for sharing his talented piano playing; area businesses and individuals who donated to the silent auction; and to all of the volunteers who helped to prepare, set up, tear down, haul items, and worked or attended the event to support HFS. HFS is grateful to all who purchased tickets, noting that the ticket price of $40 feeds a family of four for one week.
Every dollar and every pound of food donated through April 6 receives a proportionate match from Minnesota FoodShare. According to Carter, “Minnesota FoodShare is such an important time for HFS, especially with the continued rise in need for the food shelf. The number of families served by a full food order has more than doubled since 2021. Support from Hastings Tastings ensures we can continue to provide nutritious foods for our community.”
