Culinary Cowgirls:

Alexandra Worthington’s Bold Journey to Reinvent Texas Queso

By Anthony Collins

LPR Editor                                                                                                                                           

What began as a spice-driven side hustle in a 1990s Austin kitchen has transformed into one of the most successful Texas-born food brands in H-E-B’s history. Culinary Cowgirls, founded by Alexandra Worthington, is known for its bold, all-natural queso and dips, and has become a household name across the Lone Star State.

     Back in the late ’90s, Worthington was brokering truckloads of dried and fresh Mexican peppers into the U.S., selling them to major produce distributors nationwide. She didn’t yet know what to do with the fiery ingredients, but her curiosity led her to start experimenting in the kitchen. Soon, she was blending up chile pastes, spreads, and dressings that became instant hits among friends. Their encouragement prompted her to start bottling the creations under the label Terra Sol Foods, a venture that quickly found success on the shelves of Central Market.

     “I was so green, but successful in spite of myself,” Worthington laughed. That success eventually led her to purchase her co-packer and rebrand the manufacturing facility as The Culinary Factory. Though she sold Terra Sol Foods and dove into the world of co-packing and food truck support, the desire to launch her own signature food brand never left.

     That spark reignited during a brainstorming session with longtime friend and culinary partner Alana Webre. Together, they came up with Culinary Cowgirls, a name that blended their shared passion for food with Worthington’s deep Texas roots. “I’ve been a cowgirl since I was two years old,” she said. “I still have my first pair of boots.”

Her sights turned to queso, a beloved staple in Texas kitchens. “There was just nothing out there that wasn’t Velveeta and Rotel,” Worthington explained. “I wanted something real, something with integrity.”

     Months of testing and tasting led to the debut of three handcrafted queso flavors: Lone Star Queso, Queso Blanco, and Roasted Hatch Queso. All were made from natural ingredients and real cheese, with the Lone Star variety enhanced by a proprietary spice blend that would become the brand’s flagship and best-selling product.

    To bring the products to market, Worthington reached out to H-E-B’s corporate office in San Antonio, landing a pivotal meeting with their cheese dip buyer. After a single taste of the trio, he made a prediction: “You need to enter our Quest for Texas Best competition. I think you’ll win.”

He was right.

    Culinary Cowgirls was not only accepted, it went on to become the first brand from the contest to reach $1 million in sales, and later, the first to cross the $10 million mark. The company remains one of the top three Texas-based brands in H-E-B stores today, with shelf space in 233 locations.

     But success demanded space, and a lot more of it. Worthington decided to move the operation out of Austin as rents skyrocketed. After visiting several towns, she arrived in Lockhart and fell in love with the historic Brock Building. The city embraced her vision, helping to fund utility upgrades on the condition that she include a retail storefront.

    So, she called Webre once more. “I need you,” she said. Together, they launched The Culinary Room, a storefront that Webre still manages today.

   Six months later, business was booming, and production had already outgrown the space. Worthington relocated again, expanding from 10,000 to 20,000 square feet at the current location of The Culinary Factory. Growth has remained constant ever since.

   Though Lone Star Queso remains the best seller, the company isn’t afraid to innovate. They recently developed an Asian Smokehouse Queso for Austin-based Loro restaurants, infused with kimchi spices, red curry paste, and smoked shishitos.    “Consumer tastes are evolving,” Worthington said. “We have to blend tradition with global inspiration.”

    It’s that commitment to fresh, filler-free recipes that keeps Culinary Cowgirls ahead in a competitive market. “We don’t cut corners. It’s just great queso, real ingredients, bold flavor.”

    And there’s more on the horizon. Worthington and her team recently launched two cold dips: Roasted Poblano & Pickle Dip and Howdy! Roasted Poblano & Corn Dip, both already showing strong early sales across H-E-B stores. The company has also exited an exclusive agreement with H-E-B and has since expanded to more than 2,347 stores nationwide, including Sam’s Club, Brookshire Grocery, Albertsons, and Aldi, and growing each month.

     Beyond business, Worthington is also giving back to her adopted hometown. In 2023, she founded the Lockhart Fur Ball, an annual gala benefiting the Lockhart Animal Shelter. The inaugural event raised funds to build a new surgical center, enabling the shelter to spay and neuter animals on-site, greatly increasing adoption rates.

     This year’s Fur Ball focused on enhancing the lives of feline residents, raising money to construct a spacious catio, or cat patio, which will provide kittens and cats a safe, stimulating outdoor environment. The project is expected to be completed by fall 2025.

     For Alexandra Worthington, it’s not just about great food, it’s about great community. “We’re building more than a brand,” she said. “We’re building something that lasts.”