2014 sofi Award Finalists Announced
NEW YORK, NY
This year’s sofi™ award finalists have been announced, featuring some top cheese, bakery, and deli meat companies from around the globe! The annual sofi Awards, considered the specialty food industry’s most prestigious honor, consists of 32 categories in total.
Here’s a quick look at some of the finalists that made it to the next round of judging… For the full list, click the link below:
Cheese or Dairy Product:
Rachel - Artisan Biscuits
Whole Milk Ricotta - Bellwether Farms
Blue Hill Beet Yogurt - Blue Hill Yogurt
Rawstruck - Raw Goat Milk Aged Cheese - Coach Farm Enterprises
Pena Gorda - European Imports, Inc.
Red Witch - World's Best Cheeses
Classic
Oregonzola Blue Cheese - Rogue Creamery
Food Gift
Oregon Tradition - Rogue Creamery
Meat, Pâté, or Seafood
Bloc De Foie Gras De Canard - Les Trois Petits Cochons Inc.
Loukanika - Olympic Provisions
Fermin Ibérico de Bellota Smoked Panceta - Wagshal's Imports
New Product
Norcino Salamini - Olli Salumeria Americana
Maple Cube - Vermont Grade B - Tonewood
Capperi Croccanti - Crunchy Capers - Manicaretti Italian Food Imports
Lentil Rice Crispbread - Sesame Pink Salt - East Hampton Gourmet Foods
Apricot Almond Panforte - Napa Cakes Panforte
Pink & Black 32 oz. - Owl's Brew
Grapefruit Lilac - Blossom Water
Stubb's Hatch Chile Cookin' Sauce - Stubb's Legendary Kitchen
Groix & Nature Lobster Oil - Finesaler LLC
Coinga - 6 month Raw Milk Mahon Cheese - Fromartharie, Inc.
Perishable Foodservice Product
Bijou Food Service - Vermont Creamery
Product Line
Rishi Novel Knit Tea Bags - Rishi Tea
Poco Dolce Confections Bittersweet Chocolate Tiles w/Sea Salt - Poco Dolce Confections
Tonewood - Tonewood
Jose Andres Foods - José Andrés Foods / Think Food Products
Cavedoni Balsamic Vinegars - Putney House
Bellwether Farms - Bellwether Farms
This year, members of the Specialty Food Association submitted 2,737 entries to the contest. All finalist entries were judged by national panel of specialty food experts, from Fresh Direct, Whole Foods Market, The Wall Street Journal, Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants, Mollie Stone's Market, DeLaurenti's Specialty Food & Wine, and Artisanal Premium Cheese, among others. Part 1 of the competition, held from March 31–April 4, comprised 30 categories ranging from Outstanding Appetizer, Antipasto, or Hors d’Oeuvre to Outstanding Vinegar, while Part 2 considered the Outstanding New Product and Outstanding Product Line categories.
The final round of judging will be held at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York on Sunday, June 29 and Monday, June 30, by retail and foodservice buyers. Winners in each category will be announced at a red-carpet ceremony at the show on June 30. Take a look at the gala event from last year!
Good luck to all the finalists!
