2015 sofi New Product Awards Bestowed at Summer Fancy Food Show
Raspberry Rhubarb Goat Milk Caramels, from Townshend, Vt.-based Big Picture Farm, has won the sofi (“specialty outstanding food innovation”) Award for outstanding new product of 2015, making it one of 33 winners of the annual competition honoring excellence across all specialty food categories. The awards were presented on June 29 during a ceremony at the 61st Summer Fancy Food Show in New York.
Ted Allen, host of Food Network's "Chopped," gave a keynote address at the event, while chef Alex Guarnaschelli, a judge on the show, handed out the gold sofi chef statuettes. (Pictured: Lucas Farrell and Louisa Conrad, of Big Picture Farm, flanking Guarnaschelli). The 2015 winners were culled from 2,715 entries across 32 categories, with final voting held at the trade show.
The winners are as follows:
Outstanding Appetizer, Antipasto, or Hors d'Oeuvres
Lone Mountain Wagyu: 100% Fullblood Wagyu Beef Summer Sausage
Outstanding Baking Ingredient, Baking Mix, or Flavor Enhancer
Sutter Buttes Natural and Artisan Foods: Blood Orange Olive Oil Brownie Kit
Outstanding Bread, Muffin, Granola, or Cereal
Callie’s Charleston Biscuits: Cheese and Chive Biscuits
Outstanding Cheese
Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co.: Bay Blue
Outstanding Chocolate
Laurie & Sons: Dangerously Delicious Black Licorice Chocolate Toffee
Outstanding Classic Product
Vermont Creamery: Cultured Butter Sea Salt Basket
Outstanding Cold Beverage
Owl's Brew: White and Vine
Outstanding Condiment
Sir Kensington's: Special Sauce
Outstanding Confection
Big Picture Farm: Goat Milk Chai Caramels
Outstanding Cookie Brownie, Cake, or Pie
Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery: Organic Molten Chocolate Cake-Dark Decadence
Outstanding Cooking, Dipping, or Finishing Sauce
TIE CHarissa: Authentic Moroccan Seasoning; Kitchens of Africa: Zanzibar
Outstanding Cracker
Grains of Health: Laiki Black Rice Crackers
Outstanding Dairy or Dairy Alternative Product
Bellwether Farms: Blackberry Sheep Milk Yogurt
Outstanding Dessert Sauce, Topping, or Syrup
Coop's MicroCreamery: Salted Caramel Sauce
Outstanding Foodservice Product
Crown Maple: Grade A Very Dark Color Strong Taste Maple Syrup
Outstanding Frozen Savory
Callie's Charleston Biscuits: Country Ham Biscuits
Outstanding Hot Beverage
Tea Forte: Vanilla Pear Tea
Outstanding Ice Cream, Gelato, or Frozen Treat
Steve's Ice Cream: Speculoos Cookie Butter Ice Cream
Outstanding Jam, Preserve, Honey, or Nut Butter
Manicaretti Italian Food Imports: Sicilian Pistachio Spread
Outstanding Meat, Pate, or Seafood
Fra' Mani Handcrafted Foods: Salametto Piccante
Outstanding Oil
Culinary Collective: Castillo de Canena Smoked Arbequina Olive Oil
Outstanding Pasta, Rice, or Grain
Nella Pasta: Corn, Caramelized Onion & Thyme Ravioli
Outstanding Pasta Sauce
Sauces 'n Love: Pumpkin and Kale Alfredo Sauce
Outstanding Salad Dressing
Nago Foods: Cracked Sesame Miso
Outstanding Salsa or Dip
Wozz! Kitchen Creations: Kiwi Lime Salsa Verde
Outstanding Savory Snack
Maya Kaimal Fine Indian Foods: Sweet Chili Chickpea Chips
Outstanding Soup, Stew, Bean, or Chili
Cook San Francisco: Nona Lim Thai Curry and Lime Broth
Outstanding Sweet Snack
Pipsnacks: Kettle Pipcorn
Outstanding Vegan or Gluten-free Product
Tate's Bake Shop: Gluten Free Ginger Zinger Cookie
Outstanding Vinegar
Ritrovo Italian Regional Foods: Organic Apple Balsamic Vinegar
Outstanding Product Line
Fat Toad Farm: Farmstead Goat's Milk Caramel
Outstanding New Product
Big Picture Farm: Raspberry Rhubarb Goat Milk Caramels
Many of the winners were singled out as particularly tasty by Progressive Grocer after a visit to the sofi Awards press tasting on Sunday, June 28.
The awards program, now in its 43rd year, is open to members of the Specialty Food Association, owner and producer of the Summer Fancy Food Show. Last spring, a national panel of specialty food professionals and food journalists chose the finalists over eight full days of tastings at the association's offices in New York.