Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/165618
Ritrovo's Ilyse Rathet T he annual sofi Awards competition continues to surpass itself each year. In 2013 the event, considered the specialty food industry's most prestigious honor, recorded 2,573 entries across 32 categories, a 2.1 percent increase in entries over last year's recordbreaking competition, and a 23 percent jump since 2008. The judging process that took place over two months in the Specialty Food Association offices and on-site at the Summer Fancy Food Show (see "How Judging Works," p. S40) culminated in a redcarpet awards ceremony, held on July 1 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City, hosted by acclaimed chef Marcus Samuelsson. The chef behind New York's Red Rooster Harlem, American Table Cafe and Bar by Marcus Samuelsson and Ginny's Supper Club, Samuelsson is the best-selling author of Yes, Chef, a memoir of his personal and culinary journey from Ethiopia to Sweden to New York. His journey, and that of all specialty food entrepreneurs, was the theme of Samuelsson's keynote. He pointed out how the Fancy Food Show brings to life the journeys of each exhibitor who fills the aisles, from big companies looking to stay innovative to startups "making peanut butter in the basement hoping they'll be in a big retail store one day," he said. "That passion [that goes into] making your own product isn't something you can outsource," said Samuelsson, who asked the audience how many of them argue [over quality] at work. "If you don't," he said with a laugh, "you're not passionate enough about your product." Thanks and Gratitude In keeping with Samuelsson's theme, during their acceptance speeches several award recipients thanked family members, coworkers and others in the industry for being supportive of their journeys. Their remarks touched on such universal experiences in the specialty food trade as pouring life savings into startups and bringing to market family recipes. "Thank you to my wife for letting us sell everything to start a company," said David Israel, owner of Pop! Gourmet Popcorn, winner in the Outstanding Snack Food category. Mike Tott, Gourmet du Village @ David Ngo, co-founder and direcVIEW MORE tor of sales for Nago Foods, spoke of PHOTOS this year's Outstanding Salad Dressing, of the event and Ginger Sesame Miso Dressing, devel- fnalist judging at oped from a recipe from his father Sam, specialtyfood.com/ onlinehighlights. a sushi chef. Standing with his father, whom he described as traditional and a man of few words, Ngo said to audience applause: "You can't see it but my dad is crying now. The Specialty Food Association has confirmed that the blood, sweat and tears we put into our salad dressings is worth it." Following the presentation of the year's winners, the Specialty Food Association's president, Ann Daw, presented a $30,000 donation to City Harvest, in honor of Samuelsson's sofi Awards participation. Samuelsson has partnered with the hunger relief organization on projects from helping the food insecure to combating obesity. After the awards ceremony, winners, finalists The 2013 sofi Awards and members of the press ceremony also honored enjoyed a celebration the recipients of this year's complete with a DJ and a Outstanding Retailer Awards. menu featuring sofi winRead more about each at ner and finalist products. specialtyfoodmagazine.com A special 5½-foot cake in the May/June 2013 issue, made in the likeness of a beginning on p. 60. Here are sofi gold statue, created the honorees. by Carlo's Bakery owner OUTSTANDING RETAILERS Buddy Valastro of "Cake OF 2013 Boss" fame, completed feast! the event. Lazy Acres Market Read on to learn more Oliver's Market about the 2013 winners, Shady Maple Farm Market as well as to see the listSweet Grass Dairy ings of the finalists in each Cheese Shop category. More information on the finalist products can be found at specialtyfood.com/sofi/finalists/2013. SEPTEMBER 2013 S3