Goya Foods, America’s largest Hispanic food company, and the National Supermarket Association hosted “Taste of Latinoamérica,” a Latin-themed three-course meal pop-up restaurant, as part of Food Education Fund’s Restaurant Pop-Up Lunch Series to benefit students of Food and Finance High School, NYC's only culinary-focused public high school located in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan.
As part of Goya’s support of the Food Education Fund, the company established an annual culinary competition, scholarships for students of Food and Finance High School, as well as, provides Goya product donations for the School Grounds Café, a student-run business. “We couldn’t be prouder to be a partner of the Food Education Fund. It’s amazing to see how motivated and engaged the students are with the incredible support and team of the Fund. For Goya, it’s about making a difference in the lives of these students and to help give them opportunities for a better and brighter future,” said Bob Unanue, President of Goya, who was also in attendance at the luncheon, along with Joe Perez, Senior Vice President of Goya; Rafael Toro, Director of Public Relations of Goya and board member of the Food Education Fund; Chef Fernando Desa, Executive Chef of Goya; Samuel Collado, Vice President of NSA; Elizabeth Peralta, Executive Director of NSA; Paul Fernandez, Former President of NSA; Frank Felix Zapata, Executive Board Member of NSA; Diana Reyna, Former Brooklyn Deputy President and City Council Member; and Jose Salcedo, CEO of Traiilo.
"The NSA is proud to be a new partner of the Food Education Fund and to help empower and support these students throughout high school and beyond," said William Rodriguez, President of the NSA. "We are dedicated to giving back to the communities, where our supermarkets are located, and thanks to Goya Foods, we were introduced to a wonderful way where we could do just that!"
The luncheon, featuring Goya products, was fully prepared and led by students of the Food and Finance High School. Students take an hour and a half of cooking, baking, and pastry each day on top of a full academic program. With a graduation rate averaging around 90%, FFHS has prepared hundreds of students to not only enter the culinary industry, but to succeed. "Our partnership with Goya has brought the Food Education Fund programs to the next level,” said Nan Shipley, Board Chair of FEF. “We are so honored to partner with an organization that makes students like ours, who come from cultures all over the world, feel at home in New York City by providing an ever-expanding line of products from every corner of the world. We are so excited about beginning our partnership with the National Supermarket Association, another organization that fits exactly with our mission. We could not do the work we do without partners like these, and we are so grateful for their support!"
For more information, please visit, www.goya.com.
About GOYA
Founded in 1936, Goya Foods, Inc. is America’s largest Hispanic-owned food company, and has established itself as the leader in Latin American food and condiments. Goya manufactures, packages, and distributes over 2,500 high-quality food products from Spain, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America. Goya products have their roots in the culinary traditions of Hispanic communities around the world. The combination of authentic ingredients, robust seasonings and convenient preparation makes Goya products ideal for every taste and every table. For more information on Goya Foods, please visit www.goya.com.