SALINAS, CA – Whether you were a Seattle Seahawks or New England Patriots fan going into Super Bowl LX, if you were at Joe Montana’s Gold Bar Whiskey in Alameda, California, you left as a celery enthusiast. Duda Farm Fresh Foods held it down for the delicious and nutritious category on February 8, 2026, bringing pro athletes, community members, VIP guests, and more to the venue. Curious to learn more, I spoke to Nichole Towell, Senior Director of Marketing and Innovation, about Duda’s presence at the event and how they found themselves superstars in their own right.
“We were approached to participate in the Super Bowl Weekend pop-up by Daryn Mayer, Founder of You Fortified Media Content, who recognized a strong opportunity to spotlight and elevate our fresh celery snacking line in front of athletes, influencers, and media attending the event at Gold Bar Whiskey,” Nichole shared. “As Joe Montana is a legendary San Francisco 49ers player, it made the setting even more fitting for a Super Bowl activation.”
Celery has long been a gameday essential, especially alongside wings, so the Super Bowl has always been a key promotional moment for Duda Farm Fresh Foods.
“This partnership with You Fortified Media Content allowed us to move beyond our traditional marketing tactics and bring the brand to life through an in-person experience. Our team helped shape the activation by showcasing the versatility and freshness of our snacking products in a setting where guests could taste, engage, and connect with the brand in a memorable way,” Nichole expressed.
During the Super Bowl, Duda served a Dill Pickle Dip that was piped directly into fresh Dandy® celery sticks for a fun, flavorful, and convenient bite. This recipe has been especially popular with Duda’s online community, and with dill-pickle–inspired flavors trending widely across snacks, sauces, and condiments, it felt like the perfect moment for the team to showcase a produce-forward twist.
“By making real dill pickles the star ingredient and pairing them with crisp celery, we created a snacking option that is bold, nostalgic, and still undeniably fresh, showing how healthy eating can be both exciting and accessible,” Nichole detailed.
Duda also featured Dandy® Celery Sourdough Crostini with Whipped Goat Cheese and Preserved Lemon Celery. This dish demonstrates how celery can elevate a more culinary, restaurant-style appetizer.
“The combination of bright preserved lemon, creamy goat cheese, and crisp-tender celery delivered a balanced, elevated bite that guests loved, and it’s simple enough to recreate at home,” Nichole described. “Together, these menu selections underscored our commitment to making healthy eating delicious, creative, and attainable for every kind of eater.”
Given such a valuable and diverse group of palates and demographics, I asked Nichole for some of the feedback from the day.
“We received positive feedback from everyone who stopped by, from professional athletes to families and kids,” Nichole shared. “Attendees appreciated that our recipes were both flavorful and genuinely approachable, making the dishes feel exciting without being complicated. The athletes especially noted how much they value nutritious, clean ingredients that support performance, and they enjoyed seeing celery used in fresh, creative ways.”
When it came to families and kids—the group was just as enthusiastic, with many commenting on how fun and easy the bites were to enjoy on the go.
“What stood out most to our team was how often people shared that they had never realized celery could be so versatile, from snacking to being used as a flavorful ingredient in more culinary dishes. Hearing attendees of all ages express excitement about incorporating Dandy celery into their everyday routines confirmed that we achieved exactly what we set out to do,” Nichole stated. “Participating in a Super Bowl adjacent event aligns perfectly with Duda’s broader vision of making fresh, nutritious food accessible and exciting for everyone. Large sporting events bring together a wide range of people, from elite athletes who prioritize performance-focused nutrition to families and kids who are building lifelong eating habits.”
Curious about more ways to entice consumers to add celery to their regular shopping lists?
Here are a few exciting recipes that drive traffic and also create opportunities for cross-product promotions and merchandising:
- Loaded Black Bean Nachos
- Walking Tacos
- Mexican Street Corn Salad with Greek Yogurt
- Sweet Corn Pizza
- Gameday Tacos
“Events like this give us the opportunity to meet people where they are gathered around food, sports, and community. We show that nutritious choices do not compete with comfort food, they enhance it. Whether we are fueling athletes, delighting young fans, or giving families new ideas for easy and wholesome dishes, our goal remains the same: to make fresh produce irresistible, approachable, and part of everyday celebrations,” Nichole concludes.
A win for celery is a win for us all.
