San Francisco, CA — As Super Bowl weekend took over San Francisco, You Fortified by Daryn Mayer brought produce and plant-based eating into the spotlight with a high-energy pre-game pop-up designed to drive buzz, trial, and awareness among athletes, influencers, media, and tastemakers.
Hosted at Joe Montana’s Gold Bar Distillery, the event united leaders from the fresh produce and plant-based sectors with professional athletes, celebrities, and media to showcase how better-for-you foods are winning at the intersection of performance, taste, and lifestyle. Featured brands included Dandy Celery, from Duda Farm Fresh Foods, and Mushroom Squared.
Dandy Celery showcased the versatility of fresh celery with craveable creations that left tastebuds delighted—reframing celery from a simple vegetable into an elevated snacking and entertaining essential.
Mushroom Squared showcased its super mushrooms square-shaped patties, reinforcing mushrooms’ rise as a flavorful, satisfying, center-of-the-plate choice for both performance-driven athletes and flexitarian consumers. These are whole, gut-heart-brain healthy foods that taste better and help you feel better while supporting immunity.
The event drew a standout guest list, including professional athletes and Super Bowl champions Jacoby Williams, Cozy Coleman, Dwight Howard, Bobby Taylor, and Chandler Roman, alongside actress Lauren Mayhew, celebrity athlete agent Sean Stellato, and Hollywood talent agent Johnny Donavan—and many more.
“At Duda Farm Fresh Foods, we’re always looking for impactful ways to connect fresh produce with today’s consumers,” said Nichole Towell, Senior Director of Marketing and Innovation at Duda Farm Fresh Foods “This event showed how celery’s versatility makes it the MVP of the plate—for snacking, cooking, and entertaining—without losing its fresh, approachable appeal.”
“Super Bowl weekend is the ultimate stage for introducing food in bold, unexpected ways,” said Shekhar Patel, CEO of Mushroom Squared. “Our super mushroom patties struck a chord with athletes and tastemakers, reinforcing mushrooms as a satisfying, flavorful plant-based option that delivers on both taste and performance.”
“We work with brands that make eating well exciting, accessible, and delicious,” said Daryn Mayer, founder of You Fortified by Daryn Mayer. “By placing fresh produce and plant-based foods into ways that resonate with today’s culture, we help brands connect with consumers in meaningful ways that inspire healthier choices.
About Duda Farm Fresh Foods (Dandy Celery)
For 100 years, Duda Farm Fresh Foods has been a leading grower, shipper, processor and marketer of fresh vegetables, and now, extends the Duda family’s legacy, delivering their farm-fresh products under the Dandy® brand to North America’s restaurants and grocery stores. Known for their superior celery, the company has evolved their product assortment over the years to accommodate trends in health and wellness and to provide consumers value-added solutions that meet the needs for fresh and convenient meal and snack solutions. With primary locations in Florida, California, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana and Michigan, Dandy® is committed to innovation and sustainability in every area of their business and remains focused on growing a healthy future for generations to come. For more information, please visit www.dudafresh.com.
About Mushroom Squared
Mushroom Squared is redefining the future of food with nutrient-dense, flavor-forward super mushroom patties that deliver real functional nutrition without imitation meat tactics or chemicals. Manufactured in New York State, crafted from premium maitake mushrooms and clean plant proteins, the brand’s square-shaped patties are rich in protein, fiber, antioxidants, and immune-supporting compounds, with a satisfying umami taste that feels indulgent and nourishing. Mushroom Squared patties are plant-based, gluten-free, soy-free, and CMC-free, and are designed for versatility from burgers and bowls to salads and tacos. For more information, visit MushroomSquared.com and follow @mushroomsqrd on social media.
About You Fortified by Daryn Mayer
You Fortified by Daryn Mayer is a media, content, and experiential platform spotlighting brands shaping modern wellness through food, lifestyle, and culture. Through pop-ups, storytelling, and strategic partnerships, You Fortified helps brands connect with consumers, transforming their products into everyday rituals.