Nearly 1,500 Products Competed for Top Specialty Food Association Awards
Salt Lake City, Utah (May 10, 2021) – JulieAnn Caramels Maple Bacon has won the gold award in the Confectionary (non-chocolate) category as part of the Specialty Food Association’s (SFA) 2021 sofi™ Awards, a top honor in the $158 billion specialty food industry.
Maple Bacon Caramel was one of 130 winners selected from nearly 1,500 entries across 49 product categories. Products are judged in an anonymous sampling for taste - including flavor, appearance, texture, and aroma - ingredient quality, and innovation. The sofi judging was held at the prestigious Rutgers Food Innovation Center in April following strict safety guidelines.
“We are deeply honored and grateful that our Maple Bacon has won a gold award,” says Rowena Montoya, owner of JulieAnn Caramels. “To be recognized by the industry for our commitment to quality and flavor is a big honor. The sofi Awards are ultimate stamps of approval and we’re proud to claim the gold this year.”
“Our Maple Bacon caramel is a unique flavor that uses Boar’s Head Brand Pancetta Bacon and real maple syrup. These ingredients, combined with fresh cream, butter and other natural ingredients really make this caramel a delightful treat that everyone will undoubtably enjoy. This amazing caramel can be found on our website http://www.julieanncaramels.com.”
The sofi Awards competition is open annually to members of the Specialty Food Association. The Awards have been given each year since 1972. They recognize extraordinary specialty food and beverage products and the people who create them.
About JulieAnn Caramels
The story of how JulieAnn Caramels came to be is quite astonishing. JulieAnn Caramels was founded in 2012 by Rowena Montoya. She named this company after her two aunts, Nancy Ann Jones and Julie Baker, who helped raise her after the untimely passing of her mother when Rowena was just 15. “They changed my life’s course; they took me in, loved me as one of their own, taught me family values, hard work and integrity”. After marrying and having five children, the business came to be because her husband Frank was forced to close his business in 2012 during the economic downturn. He then got a job that required traveling to trade show. Rowena started looking for ways to help attract buyers to his booth, and, in a lightning-bolt moment, remembered the decadent and dreamy old-fashioned caramels she used to make with her aunts while growing up. She helped Frank by passing out her delicious caramels at the trade shows. Soon Frank was known as the caramel guy. Employees from the events, as well as customers started to request caramels in bulk for themselves, as birthday gifts, Mothers Day gifts and eventually corporate gifts. Rowena soon realized that she had something special and started JulieAnn Caramels.
Located in Sandy, Utah. JulieAnn Caramels uses only the freshest ingredients for over 40 different caramel flavors which include fruity, nutty, spicey and traditional flavors. “We also use our caramel in delicious caramel creations such as Caramel Pretzel Knots, Caramel Crispy Treats and Caramel Su’more Treats.” All these treats are handmade and wrapped with care by Rowena and her team. The team at JulieAnn Caramels truly believes that these caramels are “A Taste So Amazing We Had To Share!”
About the Specialty Food Association
The Specialty Food Association (SFA), is the leading trade association and source of information about the $158.4 billion specialty food industry. Founded in 1952 in New York City, the SFA represents makers, importers, retailers, distributors, and others in the trade. The SFA is known for its Fancy Food Shows; the sofi™ Awards, which honor excellence in specialty food and beverage; Trendspotter Panel Show reports and annual predictions; the State of the Specialty Food Industry Report; the Product Marketplace database, featuring specialty foods and beverages in 161 categories and sub-categories; Infinite Aisle, a new ecommerce marketplace that enables SFA Members to make buyer-maker connections and sales year-round; and Specialty Food LIVE!™, a digital marketplace experience.
JulieAnn Caramels media contact:
Kathryn Larsen, Office Manager, 385-695-5419, kathryn@julieanncaramels.com
9493 South 560 West, Sandy UT 84070
Specialty Food Association Media Contact:
PR Department, press@specialtyfood.com