The Perfect Purée Leads the Way as the First Company Serving the Foodservice Industry to Sponsor an Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund Scholarship

Napa Valley, California (September 23, 2025) — Inspired by the ambition and resilience of young chefs who built their careers through the Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund, The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley has become the very first company serving the foodservice industry to fund an Aarón Sánchez Scholarship with their recent donation. Founded by the award-winning chef, TV personality and philanthropist Aarón Sánchez, the Impact Fund is a program of Emeril Lagasse Foundation. Its flagship initiative is the Aarón Sánchez Scholarship, which provides full culinary education scholarships, mentorship and career opportunities for aspiring young chefs. 

The Perfect Purée is a regular sponsor of Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund events and culinary education programs nationwide. Chief Executive Officer Michele Lex decided to invest more directly in future culinary leaders after hearing stories of courage and potential from Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund alumni at Aarón y Amigos, an Emeril Lagasse Foundation signature fundraising event. “This event was different. It was personal,” Lex said in an article on the Foundation’s website. “These were young people who were rising — and determined to lift others with them. We wanted to participate in a way that felt meaningful, not just transactional.” 

Since it was founded in 2016, the Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund has awarded 25 culinary arts scholarships valued at $1.6 million. The Aarón Sánchez Scholarship empowers aspiring young chefs through culinary education, mentorship and industry experience with the goal of diversifying kitchen leadership for future generations. The scholarship is more than just financial assistance – it includes full tuition to attend culinary arts school in New Orleans, flights, housing, monthly stipends for food and transportation, and mentoring from Chef Sánchez and other hospitality industry professionals.  

Now in its 38th year, The Perfect Purée is the leading U.S. provider of premium fruit purées, zest and blends for culinary professionals. Its founding values of creativity, excellence and community makes its sustaining partnership with the Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund a natural fit. Lex says the Aarón Sánchez Scholarship is truly committed to nurturing talent. As the program continues to grow under the umbrella of Emeril Lagasse Foundation, Lex sees its impact amplified by the Foundation’s leadership and values. She describes the alignment as a “halo effect” — where humility, service and genuine care permeate everything the Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund does. 

“The purpose of the scholarship experience is for young people to be guided and equipped to chase their dreams of being leaders in the culinary field,” said Chef Aarón Sánchez. “My dream is to continue growing this beautiful collage of youth from all over who are succeeding in the industry and making their names known to the world through food, and making the world a better place through food.”

The Perfect Purée is an industry leader in innovation. In 2025 it released Camu Camu Puree and Soursop Puree, South American superfruits that reflect diverse palates and demand for global flavors. Tastecraft, released in January with German company Döhler, is an innovative line of freeze-dried fruit that offers the flavor, shape and nutritional value of just-picked fruit in shelf-stable, resealable pouches. 

About The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley

For over 35 years, The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley has indulged the culinary passion of chefs, mixologists and food enthusiasts with products that provide ultimate fresh fruit flavor minus the peeling, dicing and simmering required for making purées from scratch. The company’s collection of fruit purées, specialties and blends features 43 on-trend premium flavors ranging from pantry staples Red Raspberry, Strawberry and Banana to the tropical Lychee, Passion Fruit and Pink Guava. The fruits are harvested at peak ripeness, puréed and packed frozen to maintain optimal freshness, flavor and color no matter what the season. As the leading U.S. producer of premium fruit purées with foodservice distribution throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico, The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley is revered in restaurants, hotels, bars, bakeries and catering kitchens for the just-picked taste and unmatched consistency of its products.

All flavors can be frozen for up to 24 months from date of manufacture. When thawed, the purées, concentrates and specialties last 7-10 days in the refrigerator, and blends for 21 days.

For more information, visit follow on Instagram or Facebook @theperfectpuree.

About Emeril Lagasse Foundation

Founded in 2002 by Chef Emeril Lagasse and his wife Alden, Emeril Lagasse Foundation is a 501c(3) public charity headquartered in New Orleans. The Foundation’s mission is to create opportunities to inspire, mentor and enable youth to reach their full potential. Since its inception, Emeril Lagasse Foundation has granted more than $22 million to children’s charities to support culinary, nutrition, and arts programs. The Foundation accomplishes this through three programs. The Community Grants program provides programmatic and capital support to nonprofit organizations across the nation. The signature program, Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen, is a national education initiative created to enrich the lives of elementary and middle school children through a fun, fresh perspective on food. The Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund provides culinary arts education and human services programming for Latino youth. To learn more about the Foundation and its beneficiaries, visit follow on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram.