G
in-brined pickles, aromatic tonic, Brazilian pink pepper honey, and shiitake oolong tea
are among the winners of the Specialty Food Association's 2019 sofi Awards. The awards
recognize 148 specialty food products across 39 categories with Gold, Silver, Bronze, and
Best New Product awards. Winners were chosen from nearly 2,000 entries in a blind tasting done
over 12 days by a national panel of industry experts.
"Our 2019 winners are
passionate industry leaders
creating exceptional, innovative
specialty foods. They're
what's driving excitement
among retailers, foodservice,
and consumers, and fueling
our industry's growth."
—Phil Kafarakis, president,
Specialty Food Association
"For 47 years, the sofi Awards have identified the
best of the best within the specialty food industry. This
year, we're incredibly proud to recognize so many fantastic
products across so much of our membership," said SFA
President Phil Kafarakis. "Our 2019 winners are passionate
industry leaders creating exceptional, innovative specialty
foods. They're what's driving excitement among retailers,
foodservice, and consumers, and fueling our industry's
growth. It's a delicious time for us all!"
Past winners have reported up to a 600 percent increase
in sales and been featured in major media outlets like Good
Morning America and USA Today, according to Kafarakis.
Sixty food professionals from across the country served
as judges for the 2019 entries. They range from trained chefs,
culinary instructors, and recipe developers to food writers
and specialty food buyers who are experts in particular
categories such as cheeses, oils, or chocolates.
Products that vied for the Gold, Silver, or Bronze
sofi award in any given category were judged 70 percent
on taste, including f lavor, appearance, texture, and aroma,
and 30 percent on ingredient quality, with consideration
given to the use of ingredients in creative ways. Products
that competed for a New Product sofi Award were judged
on taste (60 percent), ingredient quality (20 percent), and
innovation (20 percent). New Product Award entries had to
have been introduced to the market between March 1, 2018
and September 1, 2018. The product with the single highest
score will be named the sofi Product of the Year award
winner here at the Summer Fancy Food Show.
Following is the complete list of winners.
SPECIALTIES
Superlative
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