Lazar Oglesby and Honey Specialties are well known in Statesboro and the Bulloch County area for not only baking the tastiest cheesecakes around, but cheesecakes that offer distinctive flavor combinations.
Next week, Oglesby will take one of her latest creations – a lemon blueberry cheesecake – to the University of Georgia in Athens where the dessert is a finalist in the annual Flavor of Georgia Food Product Contest.
“I think our product is a unique take on a classic dessert,” Oglesby said about why she thinks judges selected her creation as a finalist. “Honey’s Cheesecakes are a little sweeter and lighter than a traditional New York cheesecake.”
Each year, UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences holds the Product Contest and the finals are set for Tuesday, March 28 at The Classic Center in Athens. The event is open to the public from 4 to 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 and include samples from the finalists in attendance competing in 12 different categories.
Honey's Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake is entered in the “Baked Goods” category and will be competing against two other products, Oglesby said.
As an entry, Honey’s dessert is described as a classic southern cheesecake recipe swirled with Bynes Georgia-grown blueberry preserves and topped with a buttery lemon crumble.
In deciding to enter her lemon blueberry cheesecake into the competition, Oglesby said: “I wanted to make sure to use a Georgia agricultural product. Our friend in Burke County Mr. Dick Byne supplied me with Georgia grown blueberries from Byne Farms. We brightened the flavor up by adding lemon for a refreshing spring/summer flavor.
“I came up with the recipe and tested for several months until I came up with just the right product.”
Oglesby started Honey Catering more than 10 years ago and Honey Specialties is now the umbrella business name for Honey Catering and two Statesboro restaurants Honey Too and Dolan’s Barbecue, which Oglesby owns with her sister Mary Beth Brown.
In a release, the University of Georgia said the contest is the “state’s proving ground for small, upstart food companies as well as established products looking for recognition or new markets. This year’s finalists represent all corners of the state and the best of Georgia’s diverse culinary heritage.”
Oglesby said she entered the contest one other time – in 2018 with a pimento cheese cheesecake.
At the finals, Oglesby will provide samples of her cheesecake to judges and will “pitch” her product in a three-minute presentation.
UGA officials said judges will include food brokers, grocery buyers and other food product experts. “Entries are evaluated by category based on their Georgia theme, commercial appeal, taste, innovation and market potential.”
Oglesby said her blueberry lemon cheesecake is available now at Dolan’s Barbecue restaurant on South Main St. and can be shipped nationwide, too.