New York City Boy Wins Grand Prize in Ben's Beginners Cooking Contest by Uncle Ben's

Jesse Gunn and his father Tommy were named one of five grand prize winners in the Ben’s Beginners™ Cooking Contest.
 

A New York City seventh grader has been named one of five grand prize winners of the Ben’s Beginners Cooking Contest, presented by the Uncle Ben's^® Brand.

Jesse Gunn and his father Tommy were one of 25 finalists selected from almost 2,000 entries from families in grades K-8 throughout the country, according to a press release. The contest, now in its fifth year, encourages families to cook together and create a rice-based recipe. 

The Gunns’s winning recipe is called Lop Chung Fried Rice, using the Chinese sausage lap cheong and peas, onions, and eggs. As grand prize winners, they were awarded a $30,000 school cafeteria makeover, a $15,000 cash prize, and a hometown celebration at East Side Community School. 

“We want kids to have better, healthier lunches and we are thrilled that cooking together as a family has provided us the opportunity to help Jesse’s school do just that,” Tommy Gunn said in a statement. “We are so grateful for the cafeteria makeover and can’t wait to see all of the positive changes it will help us and the school make.”