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Record-breaking numbers and a new home for the ceremony defined the 2011 sofi™ Awards. This year’s 35 Gold-winning products and 90 Silver Finalists proved the specialty food industry has no shortage of innovation and talent. Discover the stories of the products as suppliers share the inspiration behind their Gold Winners.

By Nicole Potenza Denis, Eva Meszaros, Deborah Moss and Leska Tomash

Photography by Mark Ferri; Food styled by Leslie Orlandini; Props by Fran Matalon-Degni

Every year in early spring, the staff at the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) see the boxes start pouring in and know it can only mean one thing: the beginning of sofi™ season. This year saw a record number of entries: 2,326 products spanning 33 categories, with more than 450 hopefuls in the Outstanding New Product group alone.

“This was our largest sofi competition to date,” said Louise Kramer, NASFT’s communications director, who runs the annual sofi Awards competition. “The fact that we topped last year, which was also a record-setter, is a sign that sofi is gaining recognition in the marketplace. Members understand that the award has value. They tell us that both a Gold or Silver Finalist Award help them stand out with buyers who might not otherwise know their products.”

Finalists were given the red-carpet treatment at a stunning awards ceremony, attended by leading buyers and members of the trade and consumer press. In honor of the Summer Fancy Food Show’s debut at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, in Washington, D.C., NASFT worked with the Summer Show’s charity of choice, DC Central Kitchen, a nonprofit community kitchen and job-training program for at-risk individuals, to have members of its Fresh Start Catering division prepare food for the pre-ceremony reception. (At the end of the Show, exhibitors broke records by donating 153,000 pounds of specialty foods and beverages to area residents in need, the largest food donation in the history of DC Central Kitchen.)

Joe Yonan, food and travel editor for The Washington Post, welcomed the crowd to the new host city and noted D.C.’s burgeoning reputation as a food town with a growing scene of new restaurants, shops, food trucks and acclaimed chefs.

Celebrity chef Cat Cora hosted this year’s sofi Awards Ceremony. As Food Network’s first and only female Iron Chef and a contributing food and lifestyle editor for O, The Oprah Magazine, Cora is a nationally renowned chef whose latest ventures include a new restaurant, eponymously named Cat Cora, which opened earlier this year at San Francisco International Airport’s newly revamped Terminal 2. She also produces a line of Greek food products through Gaea Products.

“Cat Cora was an ideal choice for a keynote presenter because she’s a specialty food entrepreneur,” said Kramer. “She tasted all of the Gold Winners’ products before she went on stage and was clearly impressed with them, which came off in her speech. She made the Winners and Finalists feel a part of something special.”

In her keynote address, Cora spoke of the entrepreneurial spirit she shares will all of this year’s Finalists and the importance of determination. “I know what it’s like when your life becomes about what you’re trying to create,” she said. “It’s an exciting adventure into what will be your next product. That spirit brings us together tonight.”

Cora shared a memory of when she was just starting out in her career and met Julia Child at a book signing in Natchez, Miss. “She encouraged me to continue and really changed the direction of my life. Had I not listened and persevered for the next decade, I wouldn’t be where I am,” she said.

“Keep pushing your goals, pushing yourself—and my mantra is, always keep cooking,” Cora concluded.

After the address, Cora presented, alongside NASFT President Ann Daw and Ron Tanner, vice president, communications, education, government and industry relations, the Gold Award Winners, who took to the stage to claim their awards and recognition. In total, there are 35 Gold Winners this year as two categories—Outstanding Confection and Outstanding Shelf-Stable Foodservice Product—saw a tie.

Each Winner had an opportunity to offer a brief acceptance speech, and many thanked the people behind their companies as well as the growers and producers who make their products possible.

“This award didn’t happen because of me,” said Bob Giacomini, owner of Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company, Outstanding Cheese or Dairy Product Winner. “It happened because my four daughters’ mother had them, and because they got involved in the business. And mostly, thanks go to our cows who make the milk that makes the cheese.”

“I want to thank the lobstermen and women in Maine who go out day after day and do what they do, sustainably. We’re happy to be a part of it,” said Cal Hancock, owner of Hancock Gourmet Lobster Company, which won three sofis for Outstanding Product Line, Outstanding Perishable Foodservice Product and Outstanding Soup, Stew, Bean or Chili.

Ted Dennard of Savannah Bee Company, the Outstanding Classic Winner, acknowledged his fellow nominees and other specialty food suppliers: “Thanks to everyone here for all you’ve done because we all do the same thing. I’ll take this for everybody.”

Specialty Food Magazine spoke with this year’s 35 sofi Gold Award recipients to learn more about the passion and purpose behind their products and what the win means to them. Among them are small family businesses, young entrepreneurs, established brands with multiple wins and first-timers with business now booming.

To view all 125 finalists and gold winners, visit Silver Finalists Gallery on foodspring.com.

To only view the 35 Gold Award winning product and company profiles, visit the Gold Awards gallery on foodspring.com. |SFM|

The Judging Process

With thousands of products competing for the title of sofi Gold Award Winner, the participating manufacturers aren’t the only ones feeling the stress of the Awards process. The judging panel endures a few grueling days of nonstop tasting, note-taking and careful consideration when selecting the sofi Finalists.

Beginning in early April, the judges spend three full days sampling and learning about each submission across 31 categories, from Outstanding Appetizer, Antipasto, Salsa or Dip to Outstanding Vinegar. Finalists are tallied and announced, and then the process begins for the final two coveted titles: Outstanding Product Line and Outstanding New Product. The judges return for two days in early June, to judge the remaining categories.

This year, the judges selected a total of 125 Silver Finalists among the 33 categories, based on numerous attributes such as quality, taste, innovation, packaging, ingredients and pricing. The panel of judges comprises specialty food experts including manufacturers, retailers and members of the press. This year’s judges were: Bonnie Benwick and Tim Carman, The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.; Patrick Delessio, Canyon Market, San Francisco; Kristin Hutter, Cork Market & Tasting Room, Washington, D.C.; Gus DiMillo and David Wizenberg, Passion Food Hospitality, Washington, D.C.; Roger McElroy, Straub’s, St. Louis; Sara Moulton, Good Morning America; Alan Palmer, Blue Apron Foods, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Peter Pruden III and Jon Pruden, Taste Unlimited, Norfolk, Va.; Dwight Richmond, Whole Foods Market, Austin, Texas; Paul Abbott and Rochelle Seideneck, Giant Eagle Market District, Pittsburgh. One representative from each company served at a time across all five days of judging.

At the Summer Fancy Food Show on July 10 and 11, nearly 250 additional buyers sampled the Finalists’ products and cast their ballots, ultimately determining who would take home a sofi Gold.

sofi Project Staff

sofi Judges

Nicole Potenza Denis and Eva Meszaros are contributing editor and associate editor, respectively, to Specialty Food Magazine; Deborah Moss is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Sports Illustrated and Shape; and Leska Tomash is a freelance writer specializing in food.