The famed Kurt Warner went from bagging and stocking groceries to playing in one of the most televised live events in American history. Warner's rise to prominence is another one of those tales of overcoming adversity through hard work and finding oneself in the perfect circumstance to succeed. Kurt Warner attended the University of Northern Iowa but had a less than remarkable career due to being third on the Panthers' quarterback depth chart up until his senior year where he finally got the chance to start. In that single season, Warner performed so well he was named the Gateway Conference Offensive Player of the Year and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in communications.
With a less than stellar performance as a Northern Iowa Panthers, Kurt Warner went undrafted in the 1994 NFL Draft but got an opportunity to try out for the Green Bay Packers. Warner was cut from the team and went back to his hometown of Cedar Falls, Iowa to bag groceries for a living. Eventually, Warner would make his way back to the field in the AFL where he played a single season with the Iowa Barnstormers. The following year, Warner participated in the NFL Europe before signing a contract with the St. Louis Rams where he would become a household name. In six seasons with the Rams, Warner became the first undrafted quarterback to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory (XXIV) and win Super Bowl MVP. Warner also holds three out of the five single-game passing yardages in a Super Bowl and led the Arizona Cardinals to their first-ever Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XLIII before retiring in January 2010. The now 4x Pro Bowler and Hall of Famer is considered the best-undrafted football player of all-time.
For the past few years, we've been seeing more and more food halls dominate the retail industry. The craze has swept Los Angeles and New York by storm and is now making its way to Miami. In Magic City alone, ten of these food parks have opened just recently. The mania is even set to triple in size by the year 2020.
Now more than ever, more people have been adopting a vegan lifestyle. A survey in the United Kingdom reveals that 3.5 million residents have turned vegan, while 20 percent have at least tried the concept. People are now wanting to cut down on meat, and the food industry is giving in to the demand. Even wineries have started stocking up on vegan wines.
Due to increased awareness and desire to help the environment, companies have become more committed to eco-friendly food packaging. Previously, companies didnt care much about producing a ton of waste; but now, efforts to reuse, reduce, and recycle are much more apparent. For instance, PepsiCo has committed to creating completely recyclable packaging by the year 2025.
Who would have thought that young millennials would be into rum? These barrel-aged, small-batch rums are the latest trend in booze, and now even British companies such as Essexs English Spirit are joining in. The spirit is one of the most popular and versatile forms of alcohol, whether it be sweet or strong, dark or white, neat with ice or served with coke.
Nowadays, people have become more accepting of imperfection; when it comes to fresh produce that is. Imperfect Produce is just one of the grocery delivery companies that serve physically flawed fruits and vegetables. This effort is geared toward reducing waste, and the disfigured foods are often turned into hummus, crisps, and juices.
Various Asian restaurants have been popping up recently, and Sri Lankan cuisine is slowly making its way to the western palate. Sri Lankan dishes such as kottu roti, pol sambol, coconut relish, and hoppers, are being introduced to the market, and people are loving it. Unlike before, the Sri Lankan flavor is finally being recognized as an individual cuisine, separate from Indian food.