SALT LAKE CITY — Last Wednesday afternoon, a giant red semitrailer full of locally produced food products parked in front of the Utah Capitol steps. After a short ceremony and a few speeches, the driver honked twice and the truck set off from Utah’s capital to the nation’s capital.
The truck is divided into three sections: the freezer, the refrigerator and the dry storage. It’s stuffed with artisan breads and cheeses, doughnuts, taffy, pies, French dip, Fat Boy sandwiches, nonalcoholic brews, salsa, popcorn and vinegars, among other foods.
All of this food comes from local Utah companies, mostly smaller businesses, brought together for a vision created by Sen. Mike Lee and carried out by Utah Food Industry Association and Associated Food Stores.
On Wednesday, July 25 — one day after Pioneer Day — this mountain of food samples will be displayed across tables in the Russell Senate Office Building's stately Kennedy Caucus Room for an event called Taste of Utah.
The idea is to give Washington, D.C., a literal taste of Utah and to celebrate Utah's state holiday among government leaders and workers, both Utahn and not.
“Utah is a culture with a strong pioneering spirit. Workers here make sacrifices to establish themselves and create great products. We want to cultivate that and spread the word,” Bob Obray, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Associated Food Stores, told Deseret News.
Although this is the second annual event of this kind, the tradition began long before last year.
“We’ve been hosting small Pioneer Day events in my office ever since I was elected. Root beer floats and jello were the signature items,” Lee said.
The floats became “kind of famous,” he explained, so he decided to make the event bigger.
The showcased local vendors fly to Washington Monday to explore the city, which will include tours of the Capitol, the White House and the Smithsonian museums.
Heber Valley Artisan Cheese, Beehive Cheese, Rocky Mountain Pies, Lower Foods, Slide Ridge honey, Taffy Town, Casper's Creamery, Cookietree Bakeries, Gusto Brazil, Kathy Kaye Foods, Salsa Del Diablo, Creminelli Fine Meats, Stoneground Bakery, Litehouse Foods, Pepperlane Products, JulieAnn Caramels, Dunford Bakers, Apple Beer, Brigham's Brew, Lifetime Products, Ski Utah and Utah Office of Tourism are among the companies the event will highlight.
“We’re excited to show Utah off and get quality cheese in people’s mouths,” said Caralee Kohler, co-owner of Heber Valley Artisan Cheese.
Kohler and her husband own a dairy farm and just introduced robotics into their milk production. They are hoping that they can show the country's political leaders the products of hardworking Utah farmers and “show the benefits of the farming lifestyle.”
Much of the food the event will showcase is not typical fare, like cashew chipotle vegan salsa and cilantro jalapeno basil salsa from Salt Lake City-based Salsa Del Diablo.
“We’re probably the smallest company in the mix, but we want to show people that there is good Mexican food in Utah,” said Salsa Del Diablo co-founder Daniel Benites.
“We wanted to bring a wider awareness to small, artisan manufacturers that might not get a lot of press otherwise,” said Ryan Barnes, director of dairy and prepared foods for Associated Food Stores.
Barnes loves the distinctiveness that come with each local product, like a small bottle of honey wine vinegar made with honey collected by professional local beekeepers.
Last year, the vendors did not get to attend the event in Washington, but this year they will be able to.
“We wanted to make sure local producers could tell their own stories because they tell them far better than anyone else could,” Barnes said.
But it’s about sharing more than just the food, explained Gov. Gary Herbert. He said the the food was "symbolic of policy,” and that he hopes Washington learns something from Utah.
“We hope to bring awareness about the business models Utah provides and make businesses kinder, nicer places,” said Linda Hines, manager of Stoneground Bakery, whose artisan spinach and feta and kalamata olive and thyme breads will be featured at the event.
The creators of the event also hope the event will be unifying in a particularly divisive political climate, said David Davis, president and chief legal officer of the Utah Food Industry Association.
“Food is a universal thing that brings us together," he said. "D.C. frequently has conflict, but whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, everyone loves food.”