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Condiments and Sauces

Sunday Night Foods Celebrates 2nd sofi in 2 Years

Sunday Night Foods has won the New Product Award for the second year in a row in the Dessert Toppings category as part of the Specialty Food Association’s 2023 sofi Awards, a top honor in the $175 billion specialty food industry. Sunday Night will be showcasing its award-winning sauce June 25-27 at the Summer Fancy Food Show in Booth #1354 at the Javits Center in New York.

Sunday Night’s Dark Chocolate + Peppermint Premium Dessert Sauce was one of the winners selected by a panel of specialty food experts from nearly 2,000 entries across 53 categories. Products were judged on taste – including flavor, appearance, texture and aroma – ingredient quality and innovation. All tastings were anonymous and held at the Rutgers Food Innovation Center.

Sunday Night also won a New Product sofi™ Award in 2022, with its Dark + Decadent Chocolate Premium Dessert Sauce, just seven months after launching the company.

“Winning a sofi Award is a testament to our craft in perfecting a silky, glossy chocolate ganache from the finest pure ingredients,” said Eileen Gannon, founder and CEO of Sunday Night Foods. “We are honored and grateful to win one of the highest awards in specialty food for the second time.”

“The sofi Awards recognize the best, most innovative products in the Specialty Food Industry and the creative, passionate people who make them,” said SFA President Bill Lynch. “Winning a sofi Award can open doors to new markets and expand business opportunities for the winners, which is central to the SFA’s work on behalf of its member makers and manufacturers.”

Sunday Night’s luxurious, velvety sauces are made without corn syrup, preservatives, palm oil or emulsifiers. The premium ingredients allow the pure flavors to shine through: Rich, robust chocolate with fragrant, fresh-brownie cocoa notes and an essence of ripened fruit and warm spices, with hints of buttery caramel, pure vanilla and sea salt.

“Consumers want better food, but they are busy,” said Gannon. “We created our sauces so people never have to compromise on taste and quality, even when they don’t have time.”

More than just for ice cream, Sunday Night sauces can be quickly transformed into homemade cakes, pies, puddings, frostings and drinks by adding just a few ingredients. More than 50 recipes and sweet inspirations can be found at SundayNightFoods.com.

“Our brand isn’t just about the food – it’s about helping people connect around a table or a couch or a campfire, whether it’s in person or on a video call thousands of miles apart,” said Gannon. “We created the Sunday Night brand so people can easily enjoy that same feeling of comfort, care and kindness any time they wish.”

Sunday Night donates 1 percent of sales to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Sunday Night’s Premium Dessert Sauces are available at select supermarkets, specialty stores and online at SundayNightFoods.com. To find stores, visit: https://sundaynightfoods.com/pages/store-locator

For more news of interest to the specialty food industry, subscribe to Gourmet News.

Bone Suckin’ Sauce Peak City Pig Fest Set for April 14-15

Join the Bone Suckin’ Sauce Peak City Pig Fest this Friday, May 14 at 5 pm, and all-day Saturday, April 15, for a FREE family fun BBQ festival to enjoy live music, Kid Zone, food, beer garden, and various street vendors.

Visit the 32 KCBS Cook Teams from all over the United States and watch them compete for an automatic bid to the World Championship!

Attendees may purchase competition BBQ featuring Bone Suckin’ Sauce.

The Bone Suckin’ Sauce crew looks forward to seeing everyone in Historic Downtown Apex, N.C.! Located at North Salem & Saunders Street, right across from the Apex Police Department.

Grab a NEW Trucker Hat at Peak City Pig Fest for free while supplies last!

Can’t make it this weekend? Get supplies to have your own BBQ Competition at home online.

Ford’s Gourmet Foods is the master distributor for some of the world’s greatest tasting non-GMO, gluten free foods including Wine Nuts and Fire Dancer Jalapeño Peanuts, Earth Family Organics and Naturals and the internationally acclaimed Bone Suckin’ Sauces – the only barbecue sauces rated #1 by Newsweek, Food & Wine, A+ Health Magazine, and many others.

Ford’s Gourmet Foods is a fourth generation, Raleigh, N.C.-based family business with an outstanding team dedicated to making and distributing only the best.

Ford’s was recognized for its efforts to provide Gluten Free products by Columbia University’s Celiac Disease Center, one of the leading research centers in the field. In addition, the company was honored with the first North Carolina Exporter of the Year award and named one of the Top 20 Small and Mid-sized Market Players by the Consumer Products Guide.

For more news of interest to the specialty food industry, subscribe to Gourmet News.

San Joaquin Valley Olive Oil Competition Entries Being Accepted

Entries are being accepted for the eighth annual San Joaquin Valley Olive Oil Competition; Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Flavored Olive Oil entries from commercial producers in the State of California are eligible and olive oil must be made from producers’ most recent olive harvest. Deadline for entries is May 12.

“This competition continues to draw in the best olive oil producers from throughout California and grows a little each year. We are honored to shine a light on this craft – especially our local olive oil producers with the ‘Best of the Valley’ category,” said Lauri L. King, CEO of The Big Fresno Fair.

Participating producers must enter their harvest into one of two different classes: Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Flavored Olive Oil. Competition categories in the Extra Virgin Olive Oil class include: Spanish Blends (arbequina, arbosana, etc.); Spanish Singles; Italian Blends (ascolano, etc.); Italian Singles; Other Blends (picholine, barouni, etc.); Other Singles. Competition categories in the Flavored Olive Oil class include: Citrus; Herbal (rosemary; basil, etc.); Pepper (chile, jalapeno, habanero, etc.); and Other Flavors (garlic, truffle etc.).

Awards will be given out for Gold and Silver medals in each category, as well as one overall “Best of Show” in both the Extra Virgin Olive Oil category, Flavored Oil category and the “Best of the Valley” award. Judging will be evaluated and scored as follows:

  • Gold Medal: Awarded to an olive oil that demonstrates its type and/or varietal character, balance, structure and complexities to the highest standards. Gold Medals will be awarded to those oils receiving scores between 86 – 100 points.
  • Silver Medal: Awarded to an olive oil reflecting the correct distribution of balance and character of its type or variety; an oil deemed to be well crafted and of excellent quality. Silver Medals will be awarded to those oils receiving scores between 76- 85.99 points.
  • Best of Show: Awarded to an olive oil recognized to possess special characteristics of the highest quality overall. All Gold Medal winners are eligible to compete for Best of Show in their division.
  • Best of the Valley: Awarded to the oil that scored the highest with the ranch or office located in the San Joaquin Valley. Medals will be awarded for both EVOO and flavored oils. (Kern, Tulare, Kings, Fresno, Madera, Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties eligible)

Producers may submit multiple entries under one category but may not submit a particular entry to more than one category. All entries must be available for commercial sale at the time of entry. Entries are due by May 12. Judging will be held on May 24 and winners will be announced on June 6 by 5 p.m.

Gold Medal, Best of the Valley and Best of Show winners will all have the opportunity to have a booth in the Agricultural Building on one day during the 2023 Big Fresno Fair where they can taste, display and sell their award-winning product. Additionally, educational information will be set up so that Fairgoers can learn more about the art of making olive oil, its health benefits and more.

Each submission must include an entry form, at least two 250 ml bottles of the olive oil with retail labels attached and a $60 non-refundable fee per entry. Each entry must also contain a third-party chemical analysis in order to verify extra virgin status. Entries can be dropped off at The Big Fresno Fair Administration Office or can be shipped to SJVOOC – The Big Fresno Fair, 1121 S. Chance Ave. Fresno, CA 93702 no later than 4:30 p.m. on May 12. Any entry delivered by mail, freight or express must be prepaid. The Administration Office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for drop offs.

Last year, 69 entries from all throughout California were received. Below is a list of the Gold Medal and Best of Show winners. For a complete 2022 winners list, go to: www.FresnoFair.com/SJVOOC.

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