The inaugural Taste NY #SandwichShowdown has kicked off with SUNY Cobleskill’s Carriage House Café and General Store looking for a win.
The student-led friendly competition challenged two Taste NY locations in the region to design a sandwich that highlights New York agriculture.
Developed in collaboration with SUNY Cobleskill ag students as part of their agricultural business “Retail Practicum” course, the competition tasked staff at the Taste NY Market at the Mohawk Valley Welcome Center and the Carriage House Café and General Store at SUNY Cobleskill to each develop a sandwich using more than 50 percent local New York State ingredients that could be sold at the locations.
Students developed a plan for marketing the sandwiches, selecting a winner, and creating buzz around the Mohawk Valley offerings.
“Not only does this Sandwich Showdown spotlight all that’s great about our Taste NY program and the fresh, local products that are its hallmark, but the competition also highlights the fantastic agricultural education opportunities that we have here in New York, with SUNY Cobleskill students designing the program and helping to bring these delicious foods to more New Yorkers and visitors alike,” said State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball.
“I encourage everyone to stop by the Taste NY Market at the Mohawk Valley Welcome Center and the Carriage House Café and General Store at SUNY Cobleskill to try these delicious creations and cast a vote for your favorite.”
Visitors to each Taste NY location will have the opportunity to sample both sandwiches and vote for their favorite on Tuesday, March 12 from 11am-1pm at the Carriage House Café and General Store at SUNY Cobleskill.
The sandwich with the most votes after the sampling event will be added to the menu at both locations for a limited time.
Welcome Center staff and SUNY students will be present to talk up their creations and promote the local products that were used.
Featuring several products local to the Mohawk Valley region and the greater state of New York, the two competing sandwiches are named the “General Herkimer Veggie,” created by Taste NY at the Mohawk Valley Welcome Center, and “The Carriage House,” created by the Carriage House Café and General Store at SUNY Cobleskill.
The ingredients of each sandwich follow.
The General Herkimer Veggie: Heidelberg (Frankfort) Italian bread, Lively Run Dairy (Interlaken) chèvre; Remembrance Farm (Trumansburg) beets, Romaine lettuce, Beefsteak tomato, red onion, and Whole in the Wall (Binghamton) basil pesto.
The Carriage House: Heidelberg (Frankfort) French peasant bread, Cabot New York extra sharp cheddar (Chateaugay), SUNY Cobleskill-grown arugula using Hudson Valley Seed Company (Accord) seeds, SUNY Cobleskill-grown beefsteak tomato, and Yo Pitts! Foods (New York, NY) smoked maple mustard.
The Sandwich Showdown was created in collaboration with SUNY Cobleskill marketing students as part of their coursework for their agricultural business management Retail Practicum course, taught by Professor JoAnne Cloughly.
Since the semester began in January, the students have worked to develop a social media and marketing promotion plan to showcase the two sandwich options, develop a schedule of sampling; and create buzz around voting for the favorite of the two sandwiches.
“We're thrilled to take part of this competition to come up with a regional Taste NY sandwich,” Professor Cloughly said.
“Crafting this featured regional sandwich isn't just a competition for us. It’s a celebration of our campus community and the students involved in the creating it.”
Taste NY highlights the quality, diversity, and economic impact of food and beverages grown, produced, or processed in New York State.