Sugar Land’s Chef Rey Wins H-E-B’s Quest for Texas Best

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Surrounded by family and friends, Sugar Land’s own Chef Reynold Darthard made sweet history on August 10th in Austin as he took First Place in H-E-B’s Primo Picks Quest for Texas Best Finale with his claim to fame: cheesecake.

Darthard, known as Chef Rey, was selected as one of 25 finalists from nearly 900 entries earlier this year to compete in H-E-B’s fifth annual competition. Four winners out of the 25 finalists were chosen with Chef Rey winning $20,000 and coveted space on H-E-B store shelves for his famous cheesecakes.

One of the Houston area’s top culinary talents, after 15 years working in the corporate arena, the Texas A&M University graduate decided to pursue his passion of cooking, entering the Art Institute of Houston’s culinary program at the age of 37. Pulling from his culinary education and memories of cooking with his mother and grandmother, Chef Rey has used his flair for cuisine to create delectable cheesecakes. With seven delicious flavors, these sweet, creamy bites have rings of flaky crust, making a succulent dessert that’s smooth and velvety. Flavors include strawberry, raspberry, chocolate swirl and sweet potato. Chef Rey has authored multiple cook books and held roles as both private and executive chefs for professional athletes and sports teams, and he currently serves as executive chef to the Houston Rockets.

“My heart is filled with thankfulness for God’s grace, mercy and love,” said Chef Rey. “He has faithfully enabled my dream to become truth. This has been a year of a test of faith for me in losing both of my parents, and I will always be thankful to my parents for preparing me for this season of my life.”

Chef Rey’s cheesecakes will debut on H-E-B shelves in early 2019. Congratulations Chef Rey for making your sweet dreams come true!