Littleton Food Co‑op Alum Picks Hellmann’s

EatingWell published a chef survey on May 19 that turned a pantry staple into a regional food argument. The magazine asked five chefs to name the best mayonnaise brand, and the answers split between Hellmann’s and Duke’s, with one of the Hellmann’s votes coming from Olivia Genier Guest, a former owner of Cosmic Cup Café in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, who later worked at the Littleton Food Co-op in Littleton, New Hampshire. The article, written by Suzanne Podhaizer, framed the divide in geographic terms. EatingWell said Hellmann’s is more popular in the North, while Duke’s holds stronger loyalty in the South, a distinction the chefs described through taste, texture and what they grew up using. ### Which local name surfaced in a national mayo roundup? Olivia Genier Guest was identified by EatingWell as a former owner of Cosmic Cup Café in St. (yahoo.com) Johnsbury and a onetime assistant produce manager at the Littleton Food Co-op. In the survey, she sided with Hellmann’s, placing a North Country food-world connection inside a broader national chef conversation about a mass-market condiment. Littleton Food Co-op lists itself as a member-owned grocery in Littleton, New Hampshire, with a produce department and regular community programming. EatingWell’s mention of Guest tied that local institution to a story otherwise built around restaurant chefs and brand loyalties. ### Why did Guest pick Hellmann’s? Hellmann’s won support in the roundup for its milder flavor and creamy texture. EatingWell described Guest as part of the northern camp that prefers Hellmann’s, rather than the sharper, more acidic profile associated in the piece with Duke’s. (yahoo.com) Hellmann’s says it was created by Richard Hellmann in New York in 1905 and is sold as Best Foods west of the Rockies. (littletoncoop.com) Unilever, which owns the brand, calls it America’s No. 1 mayonnaise brand and the world’s No. 1 mayonnaise brand on its U.S. brand page. ### Who was on the other side of the divide? Mason Hereford, chef-owner of Turkey and the Wolf in New Orleans and Nashville, was one of the chefs backing Duke’s. (yahoo.com) EatingWell said Hereford grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia, and came to prefer Duke’s as he learned to cook, later making it part of the identity at his restaurant. EatingWell reported that Hereford said the original Turkey and the Wolf can go through 25 gallons of mayonnaise in a busy week. (unileverusa.com) The article also said he has a mayo-themed tattoo tied to Duke’s, underscoring how brand preference can become part of restaurant culture as well as home cooking. ### Is this really about taste, or about region? EatingWell’s own framing was explicit: “There Was a Clear Divide.” The piece said Hellmann’s was the preferred brand in the North and Duke’s in the South, with chefs describing the brands in different sensory terms rather than arguing that one was universally best. (yahoo.com) The brands themselves carry long regional histories. (yahoo.com) Hellmann’s says it expanded on the East Coast while Best Foods built its mayonnaise business in California, and the company still markets the same product under the Best Foods name in the western United States. ### Why does a mayonnaise survey travel beyond food media? EatingWell used five chefs, not a laboratory test, so the story turned on named preferences and personal histories. (yahoo.com) That gave the piece room to connect national brands to local food identities, whether through Hereford’s Southern restaurant culture or Guest’s path from a Vermont café to the Littleton co-op. (unileverusa.com) May 19 is also the concrete next stop for readers who want the full list. EatingWell’s roundup remains the primary source for the five-chef survey, with comments from Guest, Hereford and the other participants published in that article. (yahoo.com)