Hastings Tastings unites businesses in an effort to root out hunger in community

The 26th annual Hastings Tastings event on March 27 brought businesses, volunteers, donors, and community members together to fight hunger in the Hastings area.

Over $22,000 was raised for the Market Food Shelf at Hastings Family Service (HFS) as attendees sampled food and beverages from area food and drink establishments.

Thirteen food and drink establishments shared their culinary talent, staff time, and delicious food with 300 guests. This year’s participants were Alexis Bailly Vineyard, American Legion Post #47, Coborn’s Deli, Cub Foods Deli, Culver’s, Froth and Cork, Green Mill, Hastings Public House, Hastings Raider Nutrition, Lock and Dam Eatery, Spiral Food Co-op, Me and Julio, and Spiral Brewery. 

The Hastings Public House was selected by attendees as the overall People’s Choice award winner and winner of best appetizer. Lock and Dam Eatery was chosen for best entrée, Culver’s for best dessert, and Froth and Cork for best drink.

The food and drink establishments also provided gift cards for the restaurant raffle to raise additional funds for HFS. 

According to Kelly Carter, Development and Community Relations Coordinator at HFS and organizer of the event, “The generosity of our amazing food and drink establishments makes Hastings Tastings possible, and we are so grateful for their support.”

Carter expressed special thanks to the Silent Auction Sponsor Patsy Nesteby of Modern Woodman Red Wing; St Elizabeth Ann Seton church for hosting the event; the HFS Board members for donating the Wall of Wine and to Hohenstein Distributing for donating the Bucket of Beer for the raffles; the Hastings Public House for providing the linens and the cash bar; to Randy Berg for sharing his talented piano playing; to 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 also grateful to all of the community members who purchased tickets, noting that the ticket price of $35 feeds a family of four for over a week.

The MN FoodShare March campaign concludes on April 9. Every dollar and every pound of food donated through the deadline receives a proportionate match from MN FoodShare. According to Carter, the food shelf provided 52% more full food shelf orders in 2022 than the previous year. 

“MN Foodshare is an important time for HFS,” said Carter. “With the cost of food and gas escalating for HFS and for the people we serve, the support from Hastings Tastings makes a tremendous impact in our community.”