Grand Saline Shoots for World Record PB&J

GRAND SALINE – Grand Saline hopes to add a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to the record books. As part of National Peanut Butter Lovers Month, on November 13, Grand Saline Main Street and Nutty’s Gourmet Peanut Butter will attempt to break the world record for the world’s largest PB&J. The endeavor will coincide with the city’s first annual Great American Peanut Butter Festival and is in conjunction with a peanut butter food drive for the East Texas Food Bank.

“We’re so excited,” said Grand Saline Main Street Director Jamie Ollive. “We get to have a really fun festival and collect thousands of jars of peanut butter to help feed area families over the holidays.” The world record sandwich attempt will have to top 950 lbs. to break the current record, set in Oklahoma City on September 7, 2002. The PB&J construction process is scheduled to begin early Saturday morning since the bread actually has to be baked on the day of the attempt to comply with world record rules.

“We expect the process to take most of the day,” said Nutty’s owner and sandwich builder Keith Parsons. “We’ll have to wait for the dough to rise, bake the bread in a large commercial oven, and then finally we’ll transport the bread to a stage at the festival where we’ll spread on the peanut butter and jelly with long boat oars.”

“We are thrilled to be included in this event and attempt to break the record,” said Dennis Cullinane, executive director of the East Texas Food Bank. “Peanut butter is a very desirable food and a great source of protein. We rarely receive items for our East Texas children, seniors and adults that are both highly nutritious and as popular as peanut butter.”

Following Friday evening’s Great American Peanut Butter Pageant to name the festival’s first peanut butter queen, the festival begins Saturday morning at 7:00 with a peanut butter pancake breakfast — followed by the Great American Peanut Butter Parade at 10:00 am. There will be a carnival with rides and midway games, a music stage that will showcase regional talent throughout the day and nearly 100 vendors from as far away as Connecticut. “We actually have someone who’ll be selling Elvis’ favorite fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches,” said Ollive.

For further information you can e-mail mainstreet@grandsaline.com or contact Ollive at (903) 962-3122. Sponsors for the event include the East Texas Food Bank, Brookshire Grocery Company, Grand Saline Main Street, and Nutty’s Gourmet Peanut Butter.