SFA Announces Gold Winners of 2024 sofi Awards
The Specialty Food Association has revealed the winners of its 52nd annual sofi Awards. Well-known and coveted markers of quality in the food industry, the sofi Awards are a celebration of creativity, innovation, and culinary excellence.
The sofi Gold Award-winning products represent the best of the best in each of 48 specialty food and beverage categories, from Appetizers & Snacks to Meat & Poultry to Water & Functional Beverages. Click here to view all 48 winners.
Characteristics such as spicy-sweet flavor profiles, global ingredients, and gluten-free formulas were shared among multiple Gold Award-winning products, indicating key trends to watch across the food industry. From a vegan, gluten-free tamarind-flavored recipe that took the Barbecue Sauce category to the smoky paprika and fleur de sel potato chips that won the red-hot Chips, Pretzels, Rice Cakes, & Salty Snacks category, bold flavors in unique combinations can be found throughout the list of winners.
“Congratulations to all of the 2024 Gold Award winners for receiving the top scores in extremely competitive categories,” said Phil Robinson, senior vice president of member development at SFA. “The level of innovation, creativity, and quality among the pool of entries we received this year was remarkable, and underscores the dynamism of specialty food and beverage makers across the industry and the world.”
Available only to product-qualified members of SFA, the sofi Awards were judged at the Food Innovation Center at Rutgers University, SFA’s partner for the awards. 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.
The 2024 sofi Gold Award winners will be showcased in a dedicated area of the 2024 Summer Fancy Food Show, running June 23-25 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. Additionally, the five top-scoring products from each category will enter into an anonymous-tasting round, live at the Show, for the chance to take home one of the sofi Grand Honors Awards: Product of the Year/Food, Product of the Year/Beverage, Outstanding New Product, Outstanding Classic, and Outstanding Packaging.
SFA will celebrate the 48 Gold Award winners and announce the five Grand Honors Award winners at the inaugural sofi Awards Gala during the Summer Fancy Food Show. Taking place in the evening of Monday, June 24, and hosted by Kristen Kish of Bravo’s “Top Chef,” the Gala is a ticketed event open to all Summer Fancy Food Show participants. Click here for more information and tickets to the Gala.
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Groix & Nature Sardines in Lobster Oil Wins sofi Gold Product Award
Groix & Nature Sardines in Lobster Oil has been named the 2023 sofi Gold Product Award Winner in the Seafood category. The Specialty Food Association’s sofi Awards, which have been bestowed annually since 1972, are a top honor in the $175 billion specialty food industry.
The 2023 sofi Awards recognized a Gold Winner and a New Product Winner in each of 53 specialty food and beverage product categories. Nearly 2,000 products from domestic and international makers entered the 2023 competition.
“We are honored that our Groix & Nature Sardines in Lobster Oil has won a sofi Gold Product Award,” says Gisele Oriot, founder of The French Farm. “Our supplier, Groix & Nature, creates the best possible product for our customers, and this Award is one of the ultimate stamps of approval.”
Groix & Nature Sardines in Lobster Oil can be found at www.wholesale.thefrenchfarm.com.
Groix & Nature Sardines inLobster Oil will now compete against other category winners for the 2023 sofi Gold Product of the Year Award, which will be selected and announced at the Summer Fancy Food Show, June 25-27 in New York City. The Summer Fancy Food Show is the largest B2B-only specialty food industry event in North America.
“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 expanded business opportunities for the winners, which is central to the SFA’s work on behalf of its member makers and manufacturers.”
The sofi Awards competition is open to product-qualified SFA members in good standing. Gold and New Award Winners in each category are featured in the sofi Spotlight Pavilion at the Summer and Winter Fancy Food Shows. Winning a sofi Award creates added exposure for products with food buyers from top names in supermarkets, specialty retailers, food service, distributors, and the media.
SFA partners with Rutgers Food Innovation Center in Bridgeton, NJ for sofi Awards judging and logistics management. Entries were judged strictly on a blind basis—without packaging, pricing, or any brand identification. Products were judged on taste—including flavor, appearance, texture, and aroma—ingredient quality, and innovation.
For coverage of the Summer Fancy Food Show and sofi Awards, subscribe to Gourmet News.
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
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