The Specialty Food Association's Lifetime Achievement Awards celebrate individuals who are widely recognized as having grown the industry, improved the Association, inspired companies, and nurtured individuals over long careers in specialty food. Unlike SFA’s Leadership and Hall of Fame Awards, Lifetime Achievement honorees are not nominated but rather selected by the SFA Recognition Council from past SFA Hall of Fame inductees. 

From the trio who founded Dean & Deluca to the specialty tea evangelists behind Bigelow Tea and many other pioneers, SFA’s Lifetime Achievement Award winners have all had a hand in making specialty food into the booming business it is today. 



Meet the Past Winners

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  • 2017 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Paul Saginaw and Ari Weinzweig

    Zingerman's Community of Businesses
    2017
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  • 2017 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Ted Koryn

    Liberty Foods
    2017
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  • 2017 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Winston Stona

    Busha Browne Company
    2017
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  • 2016 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Andrew Balducci

    Balducci's
    2016
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  • 2016 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Daniel J. Carter

    DCI Cheese
    2016
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  • 2016 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Eunice and David Bigelow

    Bigelow Tea
    2016
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  • 2016 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    F. James McGilloway

    The Gilway Co.
    2016
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  • 2016 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Joel Schuman

    Source Atlantique
    2016
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  • 2015 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Alfred Lepore

    Ferrara Foods
    2015
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  • 2015 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Edith Friedland

    EFCO Importers
    2015
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