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/375622
T he Specialty Food Association's annual sofi Awards, considered the industry's top honor, enjoyed another record-setting year in 2014. This year's contest was the largest in the awards' 42-year history, with specialty food producers submitting 2,737 products across 32 awards categories. Following a months-long judging process to select the sofi final- ists and winners (see "How Judging Works," p. S5), the awards for the outstanding specialty foods and beverages of the year were revealed at a red-carpet ceremony, held June 30 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City as part of the Summer Fancy Food Show. With two ties (in the Food Gift and Cheese or Dairy categories), a total of 34 products were honored with gold sofi chef statues. The event's host and keynote speaker was pastry chef Dominique Ansel, creator of the Cronut, a croissant-doughnut hybrid that's enjoyed a media frenzy and international recognition. Ansel, who owns Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York, was named one of Business Insider's "Most Innovative People Under 40" in 2013 and was the 2014 winner of the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef. He previously worked as the executive pastry chef at restaurant Daniel. A native of France, Ansel is set to publish his first cookbook in October. In his keynote address, Ansel recalled his humble beginnings as a teenager working 16-hour shifts in a kitchen for $25 per day. Along the way, he treated himself to an expensive shirt to save for a special occasion but never wore it. Two years later, the shirt was too small. "I often think that ideas are like that shirt," he said. "Use them. Later might be too late." He spoke of the beloved pastry that made his a household name in the food world. "People often ask me how I came up with the Cronut. I did it in 20 years, working in my kitchen, where I kept trying," Ansel said, adding that he never stopped working after its success. "Tonight, we're celebrating your great ideas," he concluded. "And I invite everyone to come back next year with even better ideas." Following the presentation of the year's winners, Ann Daw, president of the Specialty Food Association, presented a $30,000 donation to City Harvest in honor of Ansel's participation. Ansel is a devoted supporter of anti-hunger initiatives, and is a member of City Harvest's Food Council. "Using my passion for food to help fight hunger—what better win-win situation is there than this?" he said. City Harvest, a food-rescue organization that works with 500 community food programs throughout New York City, has been the Fancy Food Show's anti-hunger charity for 25 years. At the end of each Summer Show the organization rescues thousands of pounds of food donated by exhibitors. To date, more than 1.75 million pounds of food have been donated from the Fancy Food Show. The evening ended with winners, finalists, and members of the press enjoying a celebration with a menu that featured products from sofi winners and finalists as well as fare from New York restaurants and international exhibitors. Read on to learn about each of the 2014 winning products, and the people behind them, and to see the finalists in each category. For more information on the finalists' products, go to specialtyfood.com/ sofi.—D. Purcell PHOTOS: MARK FERRI; FOOD STYLING: LESLIE ORLANDINI; PROPS STYLING: FRAN MATALON-DEGNI In this special section, the 34 winners of the 2014 sofi Awards share the stories of these products as well as the inspiration behind their creations. Also featured are the 91 finalists. By Esther Crain, Emily Crowe, Eva Meszaros, Denise Purcell, Kara Mayer Robinson, and Susan Segrest and the goes to... FALL 2014 S3 sofi TM