Raspberry Rhubarb Goat Milk Caramels from Big Picture Farm in Townshend, VT. is the winner of the sofi™ Award for outstanding new product of 2015. The confection is one of 33 winners in the annual competition which honors excellence across all specialty food categories, from appetizers to pastas to vinegar.
The winners were announced June 29 at a red-carpet awards ceremony at the 61st Summer Fancy Food Show in New York. Ted Allen, host of Food Network’s Chopped delivered a keynote address, and the coveted gold sofi chef statues were handed out by Chef Alex Guarnaschelli, the popular judge on the hit Food Network Show “Chopped.”
This year’s winners were selected from 2,715 entries across 32 awards categories. The final voting ended at the trade show. A sofi is considered the top accolade in the $109-billion specialty food industry. “sofi” stands for specialty outstanding food innovation. The sofi Awards contest, now in its 43rd year, is open to members of the Specialty Food Association, owner and producer of the Summer Fancy Food Show. In the spring, a national panel of specialty food professionals and food journalists selected the finalists over eight full days of tastings at the Specialty Food Association’s offices in New York.
See the sofi winners here.
The winners are:
Outstanding Appetizer, Antipasto, or Hors d ‘Oeuvres
Lone Mountain Wagyu: 100% Fullblood Wagyu Beef Summer Sausage
Outstanding Baking Ingredient, Baking Mix, or Flavor Enhancer
Sutter Buttes Natural and Artisan Foods: Blood Orange Olive Oil Brownie Kit
Outstanding Bread, Muffin, Granola, or Cereal
Callies Charleston Biscuits: Cheese and Chive Biscuits
Outstanding Cheese – Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co.: Bay Blue
Outstanding Chocolate
Laurie & Sons: Dangerously Delicious Black Licorice Chocolate Toffee
Outstanding Classic Product – Vermont Creamery: Cultured Butter Sea Salt Basket
Outstanding Cold Beverage -Owl’s Brew: White and Vine
Outstanding Condiment – Sir Kensington’s: Special Sauce
Outstanding Confection – Big Picture Farm: Goat Milk Chai Caramels
Outstanding Cookie Brownie, Cake, or Pie
Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery: Organic Molten Chocolate Cake – Dark Decadence
Outstanding Cooking, Dipping, or Finishing Sauce
TIE: Charissa: Authentic Moroccan Seasoning, Kitchens of Africa: Zanzibar
Outstanding Cracker – Grains of Health: Laiki Black Rice Crackers
Outstanding Dairy or Dairy Alternative Product
Bellwether Farms: Blackberry Sheep Milk Yogurt
Outstanding Dessert Sauce, Topping, or Syrup
Coop’s MicroCreamery: Salted Caramel Sauce
Outstanding Foodservice Product
Crown Maple: Grade A Very Dark Color Strong Taste Maple Syrup
Outstanding Frozen Savory – Callie’s Charleston Biscuits: Country Ham Biscuits
Outstanding Hot Beverage – Tea Forte: Vanilla Pear Tea
Outstanding Ice Cream, Gelato, or Frozen Treat
Steve’s Ice Cream: Speculoos Cookie Butter Ice Cream
Outstanding Jam, Preserve, Honey, or Nut Butter
Manicaretti Italian Food Imports: Sicilian Pistachio Spread
Outstanding Meat, Pate, or Seafood
Fra’ Mani Handcrafted Foods: Salametto Piccante
Outstanding Oil
Culinary Collective: Castillo de Canena Smoked Arbequina Olive Oil
Outstanding Pasta, Rice, or Grain
Nella Pasta: Corn, Caramelized Onion & Thyme Ravioli
Outstanding Pasta Sauce – Sauces ‘n Love: Pumpkin and Kale Alfredo Sauce
Outstanding Salad Dressing – Nago Foods: Cracked Sesame Miso
Outstanding Salsa or Dip – Wozz! Kitchen Creations: Kiwi Lime Salsa Verde
Outstanding Savory Snack -Maya Kaimal Fine Indian Foods: Sweet Chili Chickpea Chips
Outstanding Soup, Stew, Bean, or Chili
Cook San Francisco: Nona Lim Thai Curry and Lime Broth
Outstanding Sweet Snack – Pipsnacks: Kettle Pipcorn
Outstanding Vegan or Gluten-Free Product Tate’s Bake Shop: Gluten Free Ginger Zinger Cookie
Outstanding Vinegar
Ritrovo Italian Regional Foods: Organic Apple Balsamic Vinegar
Outstanding Product Line – Fat Toad Farm: Farmstead Goat’s Milk Caramel
Outstanding New Product – Big Picture Farm: Raspberry Rhubarb Goat Milk Caramels
