ROCKLIN, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 21, 2026--
For those who are into food, a unique dining experience is a must. Unique, delicious dishes paired with wonderful views and perfect weather, along with lively company, is a winning recipe for any food aficionado. How about taking it one step further with a visit to a cattle ranch in the beautiful hills of San Diego County, followed by a sunset dining experience overlooking San Diego’s Mission Bay?
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Recently, the California Beef Council (CBC) hosted seventeen food and culinary social media influencers for an opportunity to get an in-person look at beef from cattle on the ranch to a one-of-a-kind dining experience with our Ranch & Restaurant Pop-Up event. These content creators, ranging from mega influencers with more than half a million followers to those with highly engaged followers in the tens of thousands, spent an afternoon on the Flying ‘F’ Ranch in San Diego County, home to ranchers Alli and Bryce Fender. Then it was off to a spectacular sunset pop-up dining experience at the home of San Diego food blogger, cookbook author, and on-camera host, Whitney Bond.
“These types of events are an opportunity for the CBC to provide a first-hand experience to both our food influencer partners and some of our California ranchers, and the Pop-Up would not have been possible this year without the funding support from the California Cattle Council,” said Christie Van Egmond, the CBC’s Director of Retail & Foodservice Marketing. “Our guests had a combined Instagram following of 37 million, and our hope is that those followers have a chance to vicariously share in the experience of these content creators.”
The day kicked off at the San Diego Mission Bay Resort as influencers boarded the bus to head to Alli and Bryce Fender’s ranch, the Flying ‘F’. The first surprise for many of the guests was the fact that there is cattle ranching near San Diego.
“Part of our mission with events like these is to remind people how important agriculture is to California,” Van Egmond said, “and it’s almost everywhere in the state. It’s important to show how urban areas exist in close proximity to rural areas. We’re bringing people together from different walks of life, and they find common ground.”
Guests walked the ranch with Alli and Bryce, seeing cows with their new calves, learning about how the Fenders track their herd with virtual fencing collars on their cattle, and getting a first-hand look at “upcycling” as Alli fed spent brewer’s grain from Viewpoint Brewing Company to the Flying ‘F’ herd, turning what would have been destined for a landfill into a nutritious food source for her cattle. “The arrangement between the Flying ‘F’ Ranch and Viewpoint is mutually beneficial,” Van Egmond said. “The spent brewer’s grains stay out of the landfill, provide extra nutrition for the cattle, and solve a disposal problem for Viewpoint. It’s a win all the way around and a part of the overall sustainability story of cattle ranching. Depending on where a ranch is located in the state, other agricultural food waste makes its way to cattle, including almond hulls, citrus peels, and cotton seeds.”
After a few hours at the Flying ‘F,’ it was time to head back to San Diego and a sunset dining experience in Whitney Bond’s backyard.
Bond created six original Beef recipes with an eye toward global flavors, then paired a beer or wine with each. Ranch & Restaurant Pop-Up guests were treated to:
The collection of all six recipes, as well as how-to videos with each, is available for download at CalBeef.org as a complete Ranch & Restaurant Pop-Up recipe collection.
California ranchers joined the pop-up experience at Bond’s home, allowing guests to continue the ranch-to-table conversation with people in California’s beef industry. As guests left Bond’s home at the end of the evening, they were treated to her Sea Salt Chocolate Chunk Cookies for the road.
“These types of experiences are valuable for everyone involved,” Van Egmond said. “For the food and culinary influencers and content creators, it’s a chance to learn more about who raises beef in California. For the cattle ranchers and beef producers involved, it fosters greater understanding about the end user of their product. And when you bring creative food and culinary influencers together in this atmosphere with delicious beef, recipes that layer complex flavors, and great pairings, mouthwatering posts and recipes are sure to follow.”
For more information about retail, foodservice and influencer programs like the Ranch & Restaurant Pop-Up, contact Christie Van Egmond at christie@calbeef.org. For more information on the CBC, visit calbeef.org; and for more information on the California Cattle Council visit calcattlecouncil.org.
About the California Beef Council
The California Beef Council (CBC) was established in 1954 to serve as the promotion, research, and education arm of the California beef industry, and is mandated by the California Food and Agricultural Code. The CBC’s mission is to amplify the voice of the California beef industry to strengthen beef demand through innovative promotions, research, and open communication. For more information, visit www.calbeef.org.
About the Beef Checkoff
The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.
About the California Cattle Council
The California Cattle Council was established by a vote of the state’s beef producers to determine if $1.00 should be assessed on the sale of live cattle to fund the California Cattle Council in order to provide more resources to defend and promote cattle production in the state. Senate Bill 965 was enacted into law on January 1, 2019, creating the opportunity for cattle producers to vote on the formation of the council through a referendum conducted by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. On April 5, 2019, following a favorable implementation referendum among California cattle producers, the Council became fully operative.
All six recipes from the Ranch & Restaurant Pop-Up event are available for download from the California Beef Council at calbeef.org.
Whitney Bond turning skirt steak for Grilled Skirt Steak Shawarma Salad. Bond’s home formed the back drop for the event’s restaurant pop-up.
Alli Fender of Flying ‘F’ Ranch feeds spent brewer’s grains to her cattle from Viewpoint Brewing Company in Del Mar. The arrangement between Flying ‘F’ and Viewpoint keeps the spent grains out of the land fill and provides an extra food source for the cattle.
