The Fancy Feast® Brand and Chef Carla Hall Announce the "Purrrfect" Winner of Fancy Feast® Tastemakers™ Contest

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Following thousands of entries and votes, the Fancy Feast® brand announced today the Grand Prize Winner of the Fancy Feast® TasteMakers™ Contest. Joan Spector of Coconut Grove, Fla., and her "Purrrfect Sushi" entry have been selected to help inspire the next variety of Fancy Feast® Elegant Medleys® Gourmet Cat Food.

In May, the Fancy Feast brand and chef Carla Hall – co-host of ABC's "The Chew," a finalist on Bravo's "Top Chef" and proud owner of an adopted cat, Alchemy – challenged cat enthusiasts to express their inner culinary voices by entering the Fancy Feast TasteMakers Contest. Along with a photo of them with their cats, entrants were invited to share stories about the special relationships they share with their cats, and how their recipes were inspired by their cats' personalities and preferences. Five finalists were selected in July, and the public was asked to vote for their favorite to help determine the Grand Prize Winner.

"Joan's entry, 'Purrrfect Sushi', included a recipe with a delightful combination of ingredients with flavors that cats are going to love," said Hall, who judged the finalists' entries. "Her story behind her recipe really expressed the devotion she has for her cats. Now, her entry will help inspire a delectable new Fancy Feast Elegant Medleys entree for all cats to enjoy."

Spector is the proud owner of two rescued cats – named Ginger and Wasabi – and was moved to create a recipe that reflected her cats' "love of all things fish." Her recipe is a combination of two of her cats' favorites – tuna and shrimp – accented with wild rice, in gravy. Spector's cats' names are fitting for "Purrrfect Sushi," though Spector claims, "Wasabi is a kisser, not a biter like his hot, hot namesake." As the Grand Prize winner, Spector has won $10,000 plus a one-year supply of Fancy Feast Elegant Medleys Gourmet Cat Food. In addition, her entry will help inspire the next Fancy Feast Elegant Medleys entree.

Four remaining Contest finalists each will receive a one-year supply of Fancy Feast Elegant Medleys Gourmet Cat Food and $1,000. To read each finalist's entry, visit www.FancyFeast.com/TasteMakers and click on "View Finalist Gallery."

The finalists included:

• Alicia D. of North Branford, Conn., for her entry "The Best of Land and Sea"
• Rachel F. of Clayton, N.C., for her entry "Spencer's Delight"
• Heidi L. of Saugus, Mass., for her entry "Gussy's Grill"
• Christina M. of Alexandria, Va., for her entry "Flavors of Italy"

Hall judged the five finalists' submissions using the following criteria: creativity of story in describing the special relationship shared with the cat and how the cat's personality and preferences inspired the recipe, recipe appeal, and fit with the Fancy Feast Elegant Medleys brand. The finalist with the highest combined judging and online voting score was named the Grand Prize winner. The newly created Fancy Feast Elegant Medleys entree inspired by Spector's entry will be created and delivered to store shelves in June 2012.  

The Fancy Feast Brand Supports Adopt-a-Pet.com

In the spirit of devotion and in thanks for consumers' efforts in helping inspire the next variety of Fancy Feast Elegant Medleys with their online votes, the Fancy Feast brand will make a generous donation to Adopt-a-Pet.com to help pets nationwide find new homes.

About Fancy Feast® Gourmet Cat Food

The Fancy Feast Brand makes every day extraordinary with an exquisite selection of gourmet cat food entrees, restaurant-inspired feline cuisine, dry meals, and Fancy Feast Appetizers for cats. Fancy Feast Gourmet Cat Food is manufactured/ distributed by Nestle Purina PetCare Company, a global leader in the pet care industry. Nestle Purina PetCare promotes responsible pet care, humane education, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. The North American headquarters for Nestle Purina PetCare is located at Checkerboard Square in St. Louis, Missouri. Nestle Purina PetCare is part of Swiss-based Nestle S.A. -- the world's largest food company.

SOURCE Fancy Feast Brand