I had a blast being one of the judges at the San Diego Food Bank’s Guac‑Off Challenge on National Avocado Day, Thursday, July 31, 2025. What a fantastic event celebrating San Diego guacamole. I was excited to taste all the guacamoles and meet fellow judges, local media teams, and radio personalities. The event was hosted by the San Diego Food Bank along with retail partner Grocery Outlet.
100000 Avocados Donated to Help San Diego Families
Avocados from Peru donated 100,000 avocados to the San Diego Food Bank as part of the third annual Guac‑Off held on National Avocado Day. That donation goes a long way to feeding families across San Diego County.
How the Avocados Will Be Used
The avocados will be distributed through the Food Bank’s distribution network of 450+ partners to nourish local families in need. The Food Bank offers a wide variety of food and non-food related programs designed to help San Diegans in need and serves about 400,000 people every month in our region. Getting 100,000 fresh avocados to distribute plays a vital role in its efforts, especially in a city that takes its San Diego guacamole seriously.
A Master Chef Style Guacamole Competition
The competition was a Master Chef-style guacamole-making competition with NCAA-style brackets, with the winners decided by a panel of judges. The judges’ panel included Troy Johnson from San Diego Magazine, Daniel Bell from Grocery Outlet, Xavier Equihua from Avocados from Peru, and me, Darryl Gordon (@sandiegofoodiefan on Instagram). Troy brought his expertise as a respected food critic and TV personality. Daniel offered a retail and food access perspective. Xavier represented Avocados from Peru with insight into nutrition and community impact. It was a real privilege to join them.
Local Media Teams Battle for Guac Bragging Rights
Contestants came from nine local television and radio media outlets: CBS 8, Fox 5, KUSI, NBC/Telemundo, Univision San Diego, Que Buena 106.5, Amor 102.9, 91X, Magic 92.5, and Z90.3. I loved tasting their different styles, from smoky to spicy, chunky to smooth. They were all delicious in their own right. It was a fun reminder of how much creativity goes into making great San Diego guacamole.
And the Winner Is...
In the end, CBS 8 took home the Silver Avocado trophy and bragging rights as champions. Congrats to their team, Shawn Styles and Vanessa Paz, on crafting a standout guac worthy of the win.
Supporting the San Diego Food Bank Through Food and Fun
The Guac‑Off was a fun, lively, and meaningful way to support hunger relief in San Diego. It highlighted the importance of nutritious, culturally resonant food. It showed how a creative competition can bring media, sponsors, and the community together to fight hunger with flavor and celebrate the love for San Diego guacamole.
Huge thanks to the San Diego Food Bank, Avocados from Peru, Grocery Outlet, and everyone involved. I’m proud to have been invited to judge, and happy to see the generosity and community spirit in action. Perhaps I should add the recipe from CBS to the list of best guacamole in San Diego?
3 Responses
We were so sorry we missed this event!
Will it take place again in 2026? We would love to attend and support the cause.
Hello, it was a great event. Yes, it is annual, so it will be back for 2026.
Judging a guacamole contest sounds like the best job in the world — the whole event sounds like so much fun, and it’s great that the Food Bank turned something playful into a way to bring people together. I wish I’d been there to taste the entries myself!