Janine Schwendinger placed first out of 18 designers in the finals of the companywide competition

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (April 14, 2015) ? Eighteen of Hy-Vee's most creative cake designers from across the Midwest competed Saturday for a shot at being named Hy-Vee's best cake designer in the finals of Hy-Vee's 2015 Cake Designer Challenge.

Janine Schwendinger, cake designer at the Hy-Vee Barlow Plaza store in Rochester, Minnesota, rose to the top of the competition, taking home first place and the Designers' Choice Award. Linda Schneider of Ankeny No. 1 Hy-Vee in Ankeny, Iowa, placed second and Amy Murtha of Belton Hy-Vee in Belton, Missouri, placed third.

"This has been a goal of mine for years, so I'm very happy to have won. It really validates what I do every day and my abilities," Schwendinger said. "Winning the Designers' Choice Award meant a lot to me because it shows that my peers respect what I do, and that means the world to me. One of the best parts of coming to the finals is getting the chance to meet up with my fellow designers. It's really a reunion for us as much as it is a competition."

The designers had four hours to decorate a three-tiered wedding cake and a specialty cake of their choosing in front of spectators at Jordan Creek Mall in West Des Moines. The top three finishers of the final competition earned $1,700, $750 and $500, respectively. Additionally, Schwendinger took home $500 for the peer-voted Designers' Choice Award.

The entrants were scored on the cakes' technical appearance, icing appearance and level of difficulty. Designers were judged by a panel of experts, including celebrity guest judge Joshua John Russell from the television shows "Food Network Challenge" and "Last Cake Standing."

Russell, an accomplished and well-known pastry chef and cake designer, said he was excited to help judge at the finals and to see the designers' creations.

"The unique thing about Hy-Vee is their cake designers have the flexibility to use their creativity to try innovative ideas and design new creations. The designers at Hy-Vee are incredibly talented, and it was great to see them in action," Russell said. "Congratulations to all the award winners and all the competitors for designing some extraordinary cakes."

Throughout February, more than 190 designers competed in six regional semifinal events throughout Hy-Vee's eight-state territory in the 2015 Cake Designer Challenge. The top three designers at each semifinal competition advanced to the finals.

"The Hy-Vee Cake Designer Challenge Finals was a great opportunity to highlight the top 18 designers in our company and show the public the outstanding quality and truly unique creations offered in Hy-Vee stores," said Ray Doughan, assistant vice president of bakery operations at Hy-Vee. "Hy-Vee has more than 400 talented cake artists across the region who help create one-of-a-kind cakes and special memories for customers each day. Congratulations to all of the award winners and participants ? all of whom we are proud to call part of our team."

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WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (April 3, 2015) – Hy-Vee, Inc.'s private label canned tuna ranked fifth in Greenpeace USA's recent Tuna Shopping Guide, which analyzed 14 well-known canned tuna brands across the United States.

Hy-Vee Select Responsible Choice skipjack and albacore tuna were recognized as ocean safe products because of their pole and line or pole and troll fishing methods, which have minimal impact on other species. The analysis also noted the grocery chain's recent strides with its Seafood Procurement Policy and the availability of information on Hy-Vee's responsible seafood efforts.

"We are dedicated to delivering a high-quality seafood selection to our Midwest customers. To accomplish this, we believe we must also play an integral role in keeping our oceans healthy," said Nate Stewart, vice president of perishables at Hy-Vee. "We look forward to continuing to improve our responsible seafood efforts."

Greenpeace scored the brands in categories including traceability, fishing methods used, product labeling and consumer education, and support for marine reserves and promoting industry change. Through this scoring process, it found that only 20 percent of the canned tuna sold in the United States comes from sources that engage in responsible and nondestructive fishing practices.

Hy-Vee's Seafood Procurement Policy includes the Responsible Choice labeling initiative, which informs customers about the company's efforts to provide seafood from environmentally responsible sources. The policy was created to help Hy-Vee sell seafood that is not only safe for consumption, but that is also harvested or raised in a manner providing for its long-term viability while minimizing damage to the environment and other sea life.

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Hy-Vee, Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating more than 235 retail stores across eight Midwestern states with sales of $8.7 billion annually. Hy-Vee ranks among the top 25 supermarket chains and the top 50 private companies in the United States. Supermarket News, the authoritative voice of the food industry, has honored the company with a Whole Health Enterprise Award for its leadership in providing services and programs that promote a healthy lifestyle. For more information, visit www.hy-vee.com.

We're cooking up good things!

Handcrafted pizza and a Hawkeye bar are just a couple of reasons to make your next stop the Mellow Mushroom Coralville.

Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers is now open at 1451 Coral Ridge Avenue, located at the Coral Ridge Mall. From the handcrafted food to the unique and inviting atmosphere, Mellow is a great hangout for all ages.

Owners Drew Knudsen and Kaaren Vargas are thrilled to bring Mellow Mushroom to the Coralville market. "This is an ideal setting for our guests?people who enjoy a family friendly environment along with a one-of-a-kind experience and fantastic food," states Drew.

Mellow Mushroom features a creative menu with an assortment of pizzas, hoagies, salads, calzones, appetizers and vegetarian and vegan options, using only the freshest of ingredients.  Gluten free crust and a kids as well as Vegan menu are also available.

All Mellow Mushrooms are known as places that provide an entertaining experience in a unique art filled environment, and this location carries on that tradition in an astounding way. The flawlessly detailed Cosmos meets the Heartland combined theme is finished off with vibrant splashes of color in the most unsuspected places.

Upon entering the Mellow, a never before seen Herky is displayed at the bar, along with a nod to the history of the Iowa Hawkeye football team, enjoyable for any fan to see. A large spaceship suspends in the air, contrasted with an artistic interpretation of a crop circle, alien invasion, and a disco cow being abducted into the sky.

A full service gigantic bar sits near the entry of the restaurant, with plenty of beverages for any and all tastes. The bar menu features over 200 beers with 48 of them on draft, handcrafted cocktails, and a wine list.

For a great place to catch some sports action, this Mellow has plenty of options with large flat screens and a full audio system. Looking for something unique throughout the week? Catch trivia or just make it a great night out for the entire family!

Mellow Mushroom will operate 7 days a week. For more information on Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers, visit http://mellowmushroom.com/store/coralville and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MellowMushroomCoralville.

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About Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers

About Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers

Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers (www.mellowmushroom.com) was founded in 1974 in Atlanta, Georgia. This franchise, operated under Home-Grown Industries of Georgia, Inc., is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. For 41 years, Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers has been serving up fresh, stone-baked pizzas to order in an eclectic, art-filled, and family-friendly environment. Each Mellow is locally owned and operated and provides a unique feel focused around great customer service and high-quality food. For more information on Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers, like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/mellowmushroomHQ, follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MellowMushroom, and follow us on Pinterest at https://pinterest.com/mellowmushroom.