Queen Approved: Mason Dixie Brings Comfort to…

Each year, the Queen’s Choice Awards welcomes fresh, fun brands into the hive, to recognize and celebrate their innovative and boundary-pushing uses for honey. Our 2026 winners incorporate honey across confections, frozen foods, beverages and beyond to create inspiring, delicious products that drive the conversation around nature’s favorite sweetener.

Mason Dixie brings the comfort and convenience of handheld favorites to the frozen foods aisle. We spoke to founder and CEO Ayeshah Abuelhiga about the inspiration behind Mason Dixie foods, along with the rewards and challenges of freezing honey – and pairing it with butter and bread!

Congratulations on your recognition! What does this mean to you?

This recognition means a lot because it represents more than just a product. It represents validation in our brand’s standards and commitment to natural ingredients and continuing to support our mission that people should feel good about the food they crave.

When we started Mason Dixie, we wanted to challenge the idea that frozen breakfast and baked goods had to sacrifice quality for convenience. We believed people deserved food made with real ingredients, chef-inspired recipes and the kind of care you would expect from a bakery or restaurant.

Seeing that mission resonate with our industry partners is incredibly rewarding. I’m grateful to our team, our partners and the customers who continue to support our journey to renovate frozen food.

Describe what honey butter is. It’s definitely trending!

For us it’s dead simple: honey and butter! It combines rich, creamy butter with the natural sweetness and floral notes of honey, creating a flavor that feels nostalgic while also indulgent and brings a bee-autiful complexity of sweet and herbaceous to something as savory as our Parker rolls.

Since honey is already sweet, what makes the Mason Dixie pull-apart rolls especially sweet?

The sweetness comes from the harmony of “bread sweet” and “butter sweet,” so it’s not just coming from the honey.

Our pull-apart Parker rolls start with a soft, buttery brioche-style dough that has a naturally rich flavor and tender texture assisted by some sugar in the dough. The honey butter adds another layer of flavor, creating a balance between buttery richness, subtle sweetness and that irresistible golden sheen that enhances the natural sweetness of brioche with the enhanced floral sweetness of the honey butter.

What formulation challenges does honey face when put in a frozen product?

Honey is a wonderful ingredient, but it requires thoughtful formulation in frozen applications. Because honey contains natural sugars and moisture, we have to carefully balance the recipe to maintain the right texture, flavor and performance after freezing and reheating.

For example, frozen foods contain a lot of water and sometimes during the reheating process, the savory moisture can interact with the moisture in honey and create a “garbage-like” taste which can be off-putting, especially in sweet applications. Acidity can also interact poorly with honey, so balance of flavor notes in the actual honey is critical.

How does honey enhance the very soft brioche bread of the rolls?

Honey complements brioche beautifully because brioche is already known for its rich, sweet, buttery texture. The honey enhances those characteristics by adding a delicate sweetness and helping create a more indulgent eating experience.

When you brush our honey butter over those little brioche rolls, it gives them that “just baked” look and texture — soft, golden and comforting — while the sheen signals the rolls are brushed with a touch of honey, creating that “just can’t eat one” addictiveness.

Seeing as many of these products are fast food adjacent, how important is it to stay true to the “real ingredients” mission with Mason Dixie products?

It’s absolutely central to who we are. Mason Dixie was built on the belief that convenience shouldn’t require compromise. Consumers are busier than ever, but they still care deeply about what they’re putting into their bodies and feeding their families.

We’re proud to make products that deliver the convenience people need while using ingredients and recipes that reflect the quality they would expect from a restaurant or artisanal bakery. Our mission has always been to bring real food back to the freezer aisle.

Any upcoming honey inclusions in Mason Dixie products we should watch for?

We’re always exploring ways to bring familiar flavors to life in new ways. Honey is such a versatile ingredient, and we love how it can bridge sweet and savory. We are working on a honey butter biscuit recipe so stay tuned!

Lastly, any advice for “doctoring” Mason Dixie foods at home?

Our Parker Rolls are excellent on their own to be honest! But we recommend them as an incredible side to your chicken dinner to your prime rib holiday gathering. We also think they pair awesomely with spicy foods like fried chicken sliders with hot sauce, or even as a sweet treat with a little ice cream or fresh whipped cream!

The beauty of comfort food is that it’s personal. We create the foundation, and everyone gets to put their own little spin on it.

Want to learn more? Shop Mason Dixie Foods to stay up-to-date on product releases and more delicious honey goodness.

We’re always abuzz about made-with-honey products. Interested in putting your product on the table for the 2027 Queen’s Choice Awards? Email [email protected] today.