NEW
YORK, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The
Specialty Food Association (SFA) has revealed the winners for the
Grand Honors of its 52nd annual sofi™ Awards. Markers of quality
for which only product-qualified members of SFA are eligible, this
year's sofi Awards were streamlined to focus on the best of the
best: just one winner in each of 48 categories took home a Gold
Award, and SFA introduced five new or reimagined Grand Honors
Awards.
Buyer attendees voted on top-scoring products from this year's
sofi Awards in an anonymous-tasting round at the Summer Fancy Food
Show, selecting winners for Product of the Year/Food, Product of
the Year/Beverage, Outstanding New Product, and Outstanding
Classic. The final Grand Honors Award, for Outstanding Packaging,
was selected at the Rutgers Food Innovation Center (FIC).
The winners of the five sofi Grand Honors Awards were revealed
live at the SFA Awards Gala on Monday, June
24. The Gala, hosted by Kristen
Kish of Bravo's Top Chef, also featured a variety of
dishes and drinks prepared using products from the Grand Honors
Awards finalists.
The 2024 Grand Honors Award winners are:
- Outstanding Packaging: Strawberry Soft-Serve Milkshake by
Fanci Freeze and Pivot North
Consulting Fanci Freez Strawberry Soft-Serve Milkshake
- Outstanding New Product: Flash Frozen Guinness Beef Stew by
Jane Foodie
- Outstanding Classic: Uncured Wagyu Beef Salami by Alef Sausage
Inc.
- Product of the Year/Beverage: Barcoop Bevy Bloody Mary with
Smoked Sea Salt and Chiles by Bittermilk LLC
- Product of the Year/Food: Molasses Spice Cookies by Girl In The
Little Red Kitchen, LLC
"Congratulations to the 2024 sofi Grand Honors Award winners,
who showcase the immense innovation and potential of today's
specialty food manufacturers," said Phil
Robinson, Senior Vice President of Member Development at
SFA. "The Outstanding Packaging Award is a new category we're
really excited about, celebrating a critical component of
successful specialty food products. For the four other Grand Honors
winners, their incredible products were favorites through three
distinct rounds of judging—with food experts, an influencer and
buyer panel, and buyers at the Fancy Food Show—an amazing
achievement."
The winners of the 2024 sofi Gold Awards - representing the best
of the best in each of 48 specialty food and beverage categories -
were announced earlier this month. Available only to
product-qualified members of SFA, the sofi Awards were judged at
the Food Innovation Center at Rutgers
University (FIC). FIC experts as well as specialty food
buyers, influencers, and members of the media, evaluated products
in anonymous tastings using criteria that included flavor,
appearance, texture, aroma, ingredient quality, and innovation.
About the Specialty Food Association
The Specialty Food Association (SFA) was founded in 1952 and is the
not-for-profit trade association of the $207-billion specialty food industry.
Representing more than 3,600 businesses worldwide, SFA champions
industry participation and success for a diverse community of
makers, buyers, importers, distributors, and service providers by
developing resources, information, education, and events
that celebrate innovation and inclusivity. SFA owns and operates
the Fancy Food Shows as well as the sofi™ Awards,
which have honored excellence in specialty food and beverage
annually since 1972. The SFA also produces the e-newsletter SFA
News Daily, the Trendspotter Panel annual predictions
and Fancy Food Show reports, the State of the Specialty Food
Industry Report, Today's Specialty Food Consumer
research, and the Spill & Dish podcast. Find out more
online and connect with SFA on Facebook, X,
Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
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SOURCE Specialty Food Association