REDWOOD SHORES, CALIF. – The Mushroom Council has partnered with the Food Network to highlight The Blend, a plant-forward culinary technique of blending finely chopped, fresh mushrooms with ground meat for burgers and other dishes that are highly nutritious, delicious and sustainable.  

“The Food Network campaign is estimated to reach more than 90 million impressions this year, keeping mushrooms top of mind and bringing us closer to making The Blend the default choice for burger lovers,” said Sonya Beltran, Mushroom Council chairperson and director of operations of Masda Mushrooms/First Generation Farms in Toughkenamon, Pa. 

Launching May 3 and continuing throughout the summer, the multimedia collaboration with Food Network is one of the largest partnerships the Mushroom Council has ever taken on.  

The Mushroom Council’s 2021 partnership with Food Network targets mass consumer audiences and features:  

  • The Blended Burger Contest encourages people nationwide to enter their own blended burger recipe at FoodNetwork.com/blendedburgercontest. The contest will feature two tracks: one for home cooks and one for professional chefs, cooks or caterers. Each category will award $10,000 to the top recipe entry. 
  • Blended burger centerfold spread and a special pull-out recipe booklet in Food Network Magazine. In subscribers’ mailboxes and at retail stores by May 18, Food Network Magazine’s burger-themed June issue will include a special recipe booklet entitled “Secret Ingredient: Mushrooms.” This pull-out recipe booklet showcases mushrooms in an array of mushroom plus meat blended recipes including tacos, dan dan noodles and chili and lettuce wraps. 
  • Blended burger recipe video featuring Food Network’s Kardea Brown’s custom blended burger recipe, “Kardea Brown’s Southern Mushroom-Beef Burgers,” will appear on Food Network’s website, on the brand’s Facebook and Instagram pages as well as on Brown’s own Instagram page. 
  • Newsletter promotions with contest call-outs presented in Food Network’s widely read e-blasts. 
  • Digital ads appearing on Food Network’s websites and social media pages. 
  • The Mushroom Council will present its first-ever TV ad campaign. Beginning this June, a 15-second Mushroom Council ad will be seen across the network schedule. The ads will tout mushrooms, highlight The Blend and encourage participation in the Blended Burger Contest.