The More than Food United States campaign traveled to Austin, Texas on November 8–9, where it brought European food excellence to the Austin Food & Wine Classic, one of Texas’s premier culinary events. With more than 15,000 attendees at the Grand Tasting, the festival offered a dynamic platform to engage food-savvy, trend-conscious consumers eager to explore new flavors and ideas.
The campaign’s activation centered on an interactive booth experience designed to showcase how European products can elevate everyday cooking while remaining approachable and relevant to American tastes. Visitors were invited to take part in a guided olive oil tasting led by on-site expert Chef Adriana Urbina, who introduced five exceptional European olive oils from Greece, Portugal, Croatia, France, and Cyprus. The curated selection included PDO-certified (Protected Designation of Origin), organic, extra virgin, and award-winning oils recognized in international competitions, highlighting Europe’s diversity, quality, and craftsmanship.
Inspired pairings
Paired with the olive oils were two European-inspired signature pizza breads, created to resonate with the Austin crowd while introducing flavors from across Europe. One pizza bread balanced sweet and savory notes with Italian caramelized onion jam, Greek fig jam, and Noord-Hollandse Gouda PDO. The second delivered bold heat, combining Spanish Chorizo Ibérico, Belgian Fontal cheese, and Italian chili orange jam from the region of Calabria. The pairing demonstrated how familiar formats can become vibrant and unexpected when elevated with European ingredients.
In addition to the booth experience, Chef Adriana Urbina hosted a live cooking demonstration attended by 150 participants. The demo featured Air Fryer Mini Manchego Buns prepared exclusively with European-sourced ingredients, tapping into the growing popularity of air fryers across the US. By showing how a 30-minute weeknight recipe can rely entirely on European products, the demonstration connected modern cooking trends with European authenticity and quality. Throughout the session, Chef Urbina highlighted the diversity of food and beverage products from the EU’s 27 Member States, explained PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), and PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) labeling - particularly through Queso Manchego PDO and Jambon de Bayonne PGI - and emphasized organic certification and product storytelling.
Enthusiastic reception
The activation featured 22 products from 12 EU Member States. Attendee feedback reflected strong engagement, curiosity, and enthusiasm, from surprise at the range of olive oil flavors to interest in European labels, sourcing, and product availability. Overall, the campaign successfully demonstrated that European products can be both inspiring and practical - bringing authenticity, quality, and creativity to everyday American cooking.
To delve deeper into the world of European food & beverages, follow us at @morethanfoodus and More than Food US.
