sofi™ Gold Awards Announced at Summer Fancy Food Show

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The winners of the 40th sofi Awards for the outstanding specialty foods and beverages of the year were announced this evening at the Summer Fancy Food Show at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

The awards, from the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT), were presented at a red-carpet ceremony hosted by Chef Jose Andres, the noted chef and culinary innovator. A sofi Award is considered the top honor in the $75 billion specialty food industry. "sofi" stands for specialty outstanding food innovation.

The 2012 sofi Gold Winners are listed at http://foodspring.com/sofiawards and below:

Appetizer, Antipasto, Salsa or Dip - Sullivan Harbor Farm Smokehouse - Dave's Bacon

Baked Good, Baking Ingredient or Cereal - Stonewall Kitchen - Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Mix

Cheese or Dairy Product - Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery - Bonne Bouche

Chocolate - Chocolat Moderne - Lime Moderne Bar

Classic - DeMedici Imports, Ltd. - Villa Manodori "Artigianale" Balsamic Vinegar

Cold Beverage - Brands of Britain - Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic

Condiment - Fruit of the Land Products - Tishbi Onion Cabernet

Confection - Big Picture Farm L3C - Farmstead Goat Milk Caramels

Cookie - Lark Fine Foods - Lady Birds - TIE

Cookie - Natural Nectar - Sea Salt Caramel Crispy Crepes - TIE

Cooking Sauce or Flavor Enhancer - Ashman Manufacturing Co. - KIMKIM Korean Hot Sauce

Cracker -Lark Fine Foods – Scourtins - TIE

Cracker -Polka Dot Bake Shop - Sweet Potato Crackers - Cracked Black Pepper - TIE

Dessert or Dessert Topping - Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams - Lemon Frozen Yogurt

Diet and Lifestyle Product - WOW Baking Company - Lemon Burst Cookies Wheat & Gluten Free

Food Gift - Back to the Roots - Grow-Your-Own Mushroom Garden

Frozen Savory - Sukhi's Gourmet Indian Foods - Chicken Samosas & Chutney

Hot Beverage – HERNÁN - HERNÁN Mexican Hot Chocolate

Innovation in Packaging Design or Function - Ajiri Tea Company - Kenyan Black Tea - Loose

Jam, Preserve, Honey or Nut Butter - Sabatino North America - Pistachio Cream

Meat, Pate or Seafood - Fermin USA - Fermin Iberico Smoked Panceta Slices

New Product - Cable Car Delights, Inc. - The Latest Scoop Ginger Pear Sorbet

Non-Food Specialty Item -PaperChef  - Culinary Parchment Lotus Cups

Oil - The Sandy Butler Group - Fernado Pensato Olio di Oliva Extra Vergine Tartufo

Pasta Sauce -Ritrovo Italian Regional Foods - Ritrovo Selections - Casina Rossa Puttanesca Pasta Sauce

Pasta, Rice or Grain - The Rogers Collection - Les Moulins Mahjoub M'hamsa Whole Wheat Couscous

Perishable Foodservice Product - Nueske's Applewood Smoked Meats - Nueske's Applewood Smoked Boneless Chicken Breast - TIE

Perishable Foodservice Product - Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery - Cultured Butter with Sea Salt Crystals 1 oz. Minis -TIE

Product Line - Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery – Product Line

Salad Dressing - Lucini Italia - Delicate Cucumber & Shallot Artisan Vinaigrette

Shelf-Stable Foodservice Product - Chaparral Gardens - Champagne Mimosa

Snack Food – New England Herbal Foods - Danielle Roasted Coconut Chips

Soup, Stew, Bean or Chili – The Healthy Pantry - cooksimple Tamale Pie

USDA-Certified Organic Product - Rogue Creamery - Flora Nelle

Vinegar - O Olive Oil - O Fig Balsamic Vinegar

The sofi Awards are open to members of the NASFT, a not-for-profit trade association for food artisans, importers and entrepreneurs. This year's contest was the most competitive yet, with a record 2,520 entries across all 32 awards, including 374 for Outstanding New Product.

"This year's winners are a true example of the creativity and innovation that is driving the specialty food industry today," says NASFT President Ann Daw. "With such strong competition, the people behind these wonderful products should be especially proud."

This spring, a national panel of specialty food professionals narrowed the field to 125 Silver Finalists in eight days of judging at NASFT offices in New York City. The winners were selected by more than 200 buyers at the Summer Fancy Food Show, who evaluated the products and their votes in the past two days. The results were tabulated by an outside accounting firm this afternoon. The Summer Fancy Food Show ends tomorrow, June 19, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

About the NASFT

The NASFT is celebrating its 60th anniversary. It is a not-for-profit trade association established in 1952 to foster commerce and interest in the specialty food industry. Today there are more than 2,900 members in the U.S. and abroad. The NASFT's website for consumers, foodspring.com, provides an insider's look at specialty foods and the companies, food entrepreneurs and artisans behind them. For more information on the NASFT and its Fancy Food Shows, go to specialtyfood.com.

SOURCE NASFT