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A woman makes a side dish for Whole Foods' Next Hot Bar Star holiday contest, where you could win a ...

Whole Foods' Next Hot Bar Star Will Win 1 Year Of Free Groceries

Three second place winners will get $1,000 gift cards.

by Rachel Chapman
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Go on a bucket list vacation, buy those Taylor Swift concert tickets, and shop from the front of the store instead of the clearance rack. These are all things you could do if you didn’t have to factor in a grocery budget month-to-month. Even if you’re just getting the essentials, grocery shopping can really add up over time. Luckily, you could forego spending on your grocery bill completely by entering Whole Foods’ Next Hot Bar Star contest, which is the ultimate challenge for foodies.

Whole Foods is looking for their Next Hot Bar Star, and if chosen, you’ll get a year’s worth of Whole Foods Market groceries and more freebies. So, what does it take to be a Hot Bar Star? Well, you’ll need to be comfortable in the kitchen. This Whole Foods initiative is a holiday recipe contest that’ll require you to get a little creative. Not only do you need to come up with a side dish that “will steal the show this holiday season,” but you’ll also need at least one special ingredient — a Whole Foods Market brand product.

Whole Foods has also teamed up with “everyone’s grandmother” and popular TikToker Babs from Brunch with Babs to kick off the Next Hot Bar Star contest. Similar to Babs sharing recipes on TikTok, you’ll also need to share your recipe in a 60 seconds or less video on either TikTok, Instagram, or Twitter.

How To Enter Whole Foods’ Holiday Contest To Win Free Groceries

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Do you think you’ve got what it takes to be the Next Hot Bar Star? Well, you’ll first need to head to a Whole Foods store to pick up your 365 by Whole Foods Market or Whole Foods Market brand product. While you can use more than one Whole Foods brand ingredient, you must use at least one for your side. According to the rules, you’ll need that Whole Foods product on display with your side dish in your video. You also can’t show any other brand names or logos, use copyright images or music, and curse in your video.

Next, you’ll need to choose which platform you’ll be uploading your video to. For TikTok, you’ll need to follow the Whole Foods account (@wholefoodsmarket) and share your video to the FYP with #WFMHotBarStarContest in your caption. If it’s an Instagram Reel, you’ll also need to follow Whole Foods on Insta (@wholefoods) and tag them in your caption along with #WFMHotBarStarContest. While you may think of TikTok and Insta as the two main video-sharing platforms, Twitter is also an option. For that entry, you’ve got to follow Whole Foods there (@wholefoods) and tweet out your video with the hashtag #WFMHotBarStarContest. There is a limit to only one entry per person, so you can’t post on all three platforms. In fact, your entry may be disqualified if you do.

In your video, you’ll not only have to show the finished side dish but also all the steps of how to make it, before the contest deadline on Nov. 30.

What Do You Get As Whole Foods’ Next Hot Bar Star?

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The chosen Next Hot Bar Star will get the year’s worth of groceries from Whole Foods Market in the form of $10,000 in digital Whole Foods Market gift cards. Your winning side dish will also be featured at the Whole Foods Market Hot Bar this holiday season, so you can brag to all your besties about it. Along with bragging rights, you’ll also get a trip for you and a friend to get a tour of the Whole Foods Market Global Test Kitchen in Austin, Texas and meet the Whole Foods Market Culinary Team who will be serving a Hot Bar item inspired by your dish.

The hotel, air transportation, and round-trip transfer from the airport to the hotel will all be paid for by Whole Foods, making this the perfect excuse to visit Austin if it’s been on your wanderlust wish list. Even if you don’t win the grand prize, Whole Foods will choose three second prize winners who will receive $1,000 in digital Whole Foods Market gift cards as well. With all that on the line, foodies should definitely try their luck by entering the Whole Foods Next Hot Bar Star contest before the end of the month.

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