Top Specialty Foods Of 2015 Announced At Summer Fancy Food Show

NEW YORK (June 29, 2015) – Raspberry Rhubarb Goat Milk Caramels from Big Picture Farm in Townshend, Vt., is the winner of the sofi™ Award for outstanding new product of 2015. The confection is one of 33 winners in the annual competition which honors excellence across all specialty food categories, from appetizers to pastas to vinegar.

The winners were announced Monday night at a red-carpet awards ceremony at the 61st Summer Fancy Food Show in New York. Ted Allen, host of Food Network's Chopped delivered a keynote address, and the coveted gold sofi chef statues were handed out by Chef Alex Guarnaschelli, a popular Chopped judge.

This year's winners were selected from 2,715 entries across 32 awards categories. The final voting ended Monday morning at the show. A sofi is considered the top accolade in the $109-billion specialty food industry. "sofi" stands for specialty outstanding food innovation.

See the sofi winners here. 

The winners are:

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
Callies 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, Pâté, 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 

The sofi Awards contest, now in its 43rd year, is open to members of the Specialty Food Association, owner and producer of the Summer Fancy Food Show. In the spring, a national panel of specialty food professionals and food journalists selected the finalists over eight full days of tastings at the Specialty Food Association's offices in New York.

For a behind-the-scenes look at the judging, including photos, stats, and trends, view Specialty Food News' live blog coverage

About Specialty Food Association
The Specialty Food Association is a thriving community of food artisans, importers and entrepreneurs who bring craft, care and joy to the distinctive foods they produce.  Established in 1952 in New York, the not-for-profit trade association provides its 3,000 members in the U.S. and abroad the tools, knowledge and connections to champion and nurture their companies in an always-evolving marketplace. The Association (formerly the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc.) owns and produces the winter and Summer Fancy Food Show, and presents the sofi Awardshonoring excellence in specialty food. Learn more at specialtyfood.com.

Specialty Food Association Media Contact: 
Louise Kramer, Public Relations Director, 646-878-0130, lkramer@specialtyfood.com 

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Source: Specialty Food Association