Los Angeles-based food blogger wins BBVA Compass Student Chef Experience as part of All-Star Chef Classic

LOS ANGELES, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Los Angeles-based food blogger, author and home cook Veronica Hendrix was announced today as the winner of the BBVA Compass Student Chef Experience Sweepstakes, getting a rare opportunity for a hands-on training with a top culinary mind at the All-Star Chef Classic this weekend at L.A. LIVE.

Hendrix won the contest after submitting an original recipe during the social media sweepstakes that launched on February 21 and ran until March 1. The contest offers an in-kitchen experience with Chef Jamie Bissonnette, owner of Barcelona-style tapas restaurant Toro in Boston, while preparing for the classic's BBVA Compass Spanish Masters Dinner.

"I am thrilled that my sweet potato and ancho chile tostada was the winning entry," said Hendrix. "The opportunity to shadow Chef Jamie is so awesome. I am beyond excited to learn from a master chef who is not only distinguished and successful, but has an inspiring backstory that inspires me and so many others. Thank you BBVA Compass for this honor. It makes my family and the food journalism community I represent proud."

A self-taught cook, Hendrix is known for her blog, Collard Greens and Caviar, which features whimsical and conversational posts about people in the culinary world and their unique stories. It also features her own stories from the kitchen and her highly-regarded original recipes. She also boasts 20 years of experience in journalism, was a syndicated columnist and feature writer, and has a cookbook trilogy series that showcases some of her most closely held recipes.

Hendrix has also not been a stranger to television, when in 2016 she was featured in Food Network's six-episode primetime competition series, Clash of the Grandmas. Each episode featured four different "grandma super-cooks" competing for $10,000 by reinventing classic dishes with their home-cooking skills.

Hendrix will be assisting with the preparations for the BBVA Compass Spanish Masters Dinner,  where five masters of Spanish cuisine will create high-end opportunities for attendees by bringing the country's culinary riches to life for a delicious and lively night. Held on Saturday, March 10 at 7 p.m., the chefs will share the extraordinary cooking traditions of Spain alongside expertly curated Spanish wines.

Sponsored by BBVA Compass, a top 25 U.S. financial institution, the event showcases authentic flavors and modern techniques. The bank's support of the event is part of its overall multi-year agreement with AEG, the world's leading sports and live entertainment company, in an effort to create opportunities and positive experiences for clients and the communities it serves.

"When we support an event like the Spanish Masters Dinner, it's not just to have our name on promotional materials, it's to change lives," said BBVA Compass Director of Strategic Partnerships and Branded Content Sheiludis Moyett. "We're excited to create opportunities for people like Veronica and we will continue similar unique experiences with AEG down the road."

To learn more about BBVA Compass, visit: www.bbvacompass.com

For more news visit: www.bbva.com and newsroom.bbvacompass.com

About BBVA Group
BBVA (NYSE: BBVA) is a customer-centric global financial services group founded in 1857. The Group has a strong leadership position in the Spanish market, is the largest financial institution in Mexico, it has leading franchises in South America and the Sunbelt Region of the United States; and it is also the leading shareholder in Garanti, Turkey's biggest bank for market capitalization. Its diversified business is focused on high-growth markets and it relies on technology as a key sustainable competitive advantage. Corporate responsibility is at the core of its business model. BBVA fosters financial education and inclusion, and supports scientific research and culture. It operates with the highest integrity, a long-term vision and applies the best practices. More information about BBVA Group can be found at bbva.com.

About BBVA Compass
BBVA Compass is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates 649 branches, including 336 in Texas, 89 in Alabama, 63 in Arizona, 61 in California, 45 in Florida, 37 in Colorado and 18 in New Mexico. BBVA Compass ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (6th). BBVA Compass has been recognized as one of the leading small business lenders by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and ranked 6th nationally in the total number of SBA loans originated in fiscal year 2017. Additional information about BBVA Compass can be at www.bbvacompass.com. For more BBVA Compass news, follow @BBVACompassNews on Twitter or visit newsroom.bbvacompass.com.

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SOURCE BBVA Compass