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(Opens in a new window) to the specialty tea evangelists behind Bigelow Tea(Opens in a new window) 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 Winners

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  • 2023 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Donato Cinelli

    Universal Marketing S.R.L.
    2023
    Full Profile
  • 2023 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Eli Zabar

    Eli's Bread
    2023
    Full Profile
  • 2023 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Lou Foah

    Foah International LLC
    2023
    Full Profile
  • 2023 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Sam Mogannam

    Bi-Rite Family of Businesses
    2023
    Full Profile
  • 2022 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Mike Grazier

    Busseto Foods
    2022
    Full Profile
  • 2022 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Rex Howell-Smith

    Central Market-Texas
    2022
    Full Profile
  • 2021 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Sotiris Kitrilakis

    Big Picture Foods
    2021
    Full Profile
  • 2021 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Trish Pohanka

    WaterBox LLC
    2021
    Full Profile
  • 2020 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Dan Cohen

    Clearbrook Farms
    2020
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  • 2020 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins

    The Silver Palate
    2020
    Full Profile