With the March 31 entry deadline for the sofi Awards fast approaching, SFA News Daily spoke to some of last year’s winners. Representatives from Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Meats, winner of the 2022 sofi Gold Award for its Applewood Smoked Beef in the Jerky & Beef Snacks category; Nuovo Pasta, winner of the 2022 sofi New Product Award for its Ancient Grain Roasted Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Vegan Ravioli, and Sterling Caviar, winner of the 2022 sofi Product of the Year Award for its Royal Grade White Sturgeon Caviar, which also won the Gold Award in the Seafood category, answered the following question:
Q: How did winning a sofi Award last year help you grow your business?
Tanya Nueske, president and CEO, Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Meats
Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Meats has participated in the Specialty Food Association’s annual sofi Awards for the past 25 years. Being recognized with a sofi means so much to our family-owned, third-generation company.
In 2023 we celebrate our 90th anniversary. While we have a long list of people and organizations to thank for our success, the Specialty Food Association is an important part of our history as a go-to for resources, industry information, and providing a platform to showcase our traditional, Old World recipes.
We have always thought about growth as the result of bringing people together with amazing food. The sofi Award program supports that through a broad, diverse audience, and the credibility that comes with being recognized by professionals in your field.
Larry Montuori, vice president of sales, Nuovo Pasta
The Nuovo Pasta family is proud to be associated with the Specialty Food Association. Our long history of receiving sofi Awards has propelled Nuovo Pasta’s notoriety in the food industry and has opened doors that otherwise may not have been receptive to us.
We appreciate our most recent award as Best New Product in 2022 with our Sweet Potato & Cauliflower Ravioli in Ancient Grain Pasta. We proudly show the sofi Award next to this fabulous product at all food shows. The sofi brings instant validation that our products are superior.
Nuovo Pasta continually strives to make the best premium and super premium products for discerning consumers. We are grateful to the SFA for recognizing our passion and look forward to their continued validation and support.
Myra Tallerico, general manager and chief operating officer, Sterling Caviar
Winning the 2022 sofi Gold in the Seafood Category was a great accomplishment for Sterling Caviar and a testament to the hard work of the staff and the commitment of the new ownership/management. Learning that we were also awarded the 2022 sofi Product of the Year took our entire company to the next level!
We experienced the obvious increase in visibility, but more important, our level of credibility skyrocketed as the SFA sofi Awards are widely recognized as a symbol of excellence in the food and beverage industry. Within the U.S. caviar industry, there are only a handful of sturgeon farms (of which, Sterling Caviar is the largest) and the majority of caviar companies are repackers who purchase directly from us while others import their products.
When we share the story about our aquafarms and the White Sturgeons we spawn and raise for seven to 10 years, it resonates with our audience because they get to see and understand the level of commitment we have in producing a quality product. We also extend open invitations to everyone to visit our aquafarm as we truly believe in 100 percent transparency. Our caviar and meat are recognized by Monterey Bay Aquarium as a Seafood Watch “Best Choice”, and we take great pride in what we do.
We also experienced a boost in sales despite the competition who are selling at lower price points with the intent of “making caviar more accessible.” But cheaper caviar is cheaper caviar. People are becoming more aware of the environmental and social effects of the goods they consume, including caviar, as they become more cognizant of the effects of overfishing and unsustainable fishing methods on marine ecosystems and species. This awareness, coupled with our commitment to always produce a quality product with high integrity, is what wins over the customer. And people always prefer to buy from those they trust. The added recognition from the sofi Awards increased that trust as we received a high number of requests for partnerships and collaborations.
I believe, though, that the most important thing derived from winning the two sofi Awards was the impact it had on our staff. The increase in morale and engagement for everyone – from the production team who spawn and raise our White Sturgeon fish to the processing staff who process the roe into caviar – is absolutely priceless and it continues to this day! Every time they see the trophies displayed at our farm, it gives them a strong sense of pride and accomplishment; it re-instills in them that what they do matters. I’m a huge proponent of staff being the No. 1 resource in any company and should be treated with the utmost respect and humility. I made absolutely sure that our team knew that winning these two sofi Awards was the result of their hard work, commitment, and loyalty. It’s also a reminder for all that the standards we must maintain aren’t just arbitrary rules, but that our performance is ultimately measured by the product as evaluated by our customers and in this instance, by Specialty Food Association’s sofi Awards. We are, and continue to remain, honored by these sofi Awards, and Sterling Caviar will endeavor to uphold this symbol of excellence.
Related: sofi Awards Competition Underway; SFA Webinar: How to Stop NDAs From Harming Employees.