U.S.-based Stemilt says its signature apple variety, Piñata, was the star ingredient on the menu at the company's first ever 'Meet the Grower' blogger dinner held last week. 

The event brought 12 popular food bloggers together for an evening of food and conversation around the multi-generational family owned fruit company and its proprietary products.

Held on Sept. 17 - the eve of the start of the International Food Bloggers Conference in Seattle - the dinner began with a welcome from Stemilt Marketing Director Roger Pepperl and fifth generation grower and Director of Sales, Tate Mathison.

Mathison shared a bit about his family’s rich farming history in Washington State, and the varieties and products the company has been bringing to market over the past several years.

The group then settled down for a dinner featuring the flavors of Stemilt’s recently harvested Piñata apples and Rushing Rivers pears.

Guests enjoyed a four-course menu prepared by Chef Ericka Burke of Seattle’s Volunteer Park Cafe which included a red pear and heirloom cucumber salad, white chanterelle mushrooms and candied Piñata apple-fennel salad, and a Piñata apple pie with brown butter ice cream.

Among the blogger attendees were Alyssa Brantley of Everyday Maven, a blog devoted to real food recipes for the everyday family; Lynne Feifer of 365 Days of Baking and More, an Arizona-based blogger who shares everyday recipes; and Holly Nilsson of Spend with Pennies, a blog featuring comforting family recipes, household tips, and more.

Throughout the dinner, bloggers turned to social media to document their dining experience with Stemilt by using the hashtag #stemiltfruit and the company’s social media handles.

"The “Meet the Grower” dinner was a continuation of our work in connecting our proprietary products, like Piñata® apples, with influencers in the food world," Pepperl said.

"It was a great evening filled with excellent food and conversation about farming, Stemilt, and up-and-coming, consumer-favorite varieties like Piñata® apples.

"We enjoyed helping these well-known bloggers kick off their weekend in Seattle for the International Food Bloggers Conference and sharing with them the passion our company has for growing wholesome and flavor-first fruits."

The “Meet the Grower” blogger dinner also helped kick off the new season of Piñata® apples, which are coming off the tree now in Washington State and expected to be available in November.

First introduced to the U.S. and Canadian marketplaces back in 2009, Piñata® is Stemilt’s exclusive apple variety and available from November to May each year.

The apple was bred in Germany in the 1970s and is a cross between Golden Delicious and two heirloom varieties, Cox’s Orange Pippin and Duchess of Oldenburg.

Photo: Piñata apple

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