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 Winners

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  • 2026 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Fran Bigelow

    Fran’s Chocolates
    2026
    Full Profile
  • 2026 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Peggy Smith and Sue Conley

    Cowgirl Creamery and Tomales Bay Foods
    2026
    Full Profile
  • 2026 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Richard Graeter

    Graeter’s Ice Cream
    2026
    Full Profile
  • 2026 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Stewart Reich

    Hanson Faso Sales & Marketing
    2026
    Full Profile
  • 2025 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Annie Chun and Stephen Broad

    Annie Chun’s, Inc. / gimme Health Foods, Inc.
    2025
    Full Profile
  • 2025 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Doug Renfro and Becky Renfro Borbolla

    Renfro Foods, Inc.
    2025
    Full Profile
  • 2025 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    James Stott and Jonathon King

    Stonewall Kitchen
    2025
    Full Profile
  • 2025 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Pamela Barefoot

    Blue Crab Bay Co.
    2025
    Full Profile
  • 2024 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Allison Hooper and Bob Reese

    Vermont Creamery
    2024
    Full Profile
  • 2024 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Dennis Deschaine

    Al Dente Pasta Company
    2024
    Full Profile