Specialty Food Association Announces 2026 sofi™ Gold Award and Grand Honors Winners at Winter FancyFaire*

NEW YORK, Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Specialty Food Association (SFA) announced the winners of the 2026 sofi™ Awards, celebrating the brands and products driving the specialty food and beverage industry forward. The awards were revealed live at Winter FancyFaire* during a ceremony hosted by celebrity Chef Joe Sasto that brought together makers, buyers, press, and industry leaders to honor the specialty food industry's most outstanding products of the year.

Spanning 25 Gold Award categories and five Grand Honors distinctions, the sofi Awards recognize products that stand out for innovation, exceptional taste, and high-quality ingredients – and signal what's next for specialty food.

Chosen through blind tastings by a panel of leading retail and foodservice buyers, this year's winners rose to the top from a pool of more than 1,200 entries. The top-scoring products of the 2026 Awards showcase a wide range of trends driving market growth: bold flavors, thoughtful ingredient sourcing, standout packaging and more. From reimagining familiar categories to blazing a trail with entirely new product formats, the sofi Award winners demonstrate how the specialty food industry continues to lead with creativity and quality.

"These outstanding products really capture where specialty food is headed," said Mary Beth Vultee, SVP of Membership at SFA. "They reflect what buyers and consumers are actively seeking today while offering a look into tomorrow's most compelling trends and features. It's been wonderful to see these ideas come together during Winter FancyFaire*, the ideal event to celebrate the makers we'll all be talking about in 2026 and beyond."

The sofi Award winners are:

Grand Honors (Platinum Awards)

• Product of the Year – Beverage: Red Jacket Orchards, Joe's NY Style Lemonade
• Product of the Year – Food: Top Seedz, Bake-At-Home Seed Crackers: Sea Salt
• Outstanding Packaging Award: Angel Oak Smokehouse, Hot Smoked Salmon
• Outstanding New Product: UMYUM, Za'atar & Spices Soft Cheese
• Timeless Taste: Airborne Honey, Creamed Clover Honey

Gold Awards by Category

• Alcoholic Beverages: Bittermilk Bottling Co., Gingerbread Old Fashioned
• Baking Ingredients: Top Seedz, Bake-At-Home Seed Crackers: Sea Salt
• Bread & Bakery: Clementine's Ice Cream, Gooey Butter Cake
• Cereals & Granola: Jamie's Farm, Chai Streusel Granola with Honey  
• Charcuterie Meats: Fra' Mani, Rosemary Ham
• Cheese: Dutch Cheese Makers, Artikaas Vintage Lot 36
• Chocolate: Caputo's, Wild Juruá by Luisa Abram
• Condiments: New Canaan Farms, Olive Rosemary Dijon Mustard
• Crackers & Crispbreads: Kayco, Craize® Corn Snacks Everything Flavor
• Dairy & Eggs: AGA Smör, Mushroom Butter
• Frozen & Prepared Foods: Food Earth, A Perfect Marriage - Tomato Coconut Soup
• Grains, Pasta, & Legumes: Cafe Spice LLC, Coconut Rice
• Meat: MEAT THE VEGGIES LLC, The Original Pulled Oxtail Meat
• Non-Alcoholic Beverages: Red Jacket Orchards, Joe's NY Style Lemonade
• Nuts, Seeds, Trail Mix, & Dried Fruit: Evie's Snacks, Banana Bread Roasted Texas Pecans
• Oils & Vinegar: Manfredi Barbera & Figli S.p.A., KALAT
• Pickles, Olives, & Fermented Foods: Musco Food Corp., Vantia Grilled Italian Cipollini Onions
• Plant-Based Alternatives: UMYUM, Za'atar & Spices Soft Cheese
• Salsas & Dips: Nuovo, Lemon, Basil & Pistachio Spread
• Sauce: Wozz! Kitchen Creations, Middle Eastern Shawarma Sauce
• Savory Snacks: OSH! Oh So Healthy Corporation, OSH! Kimchi Crisps Cabbage & Natural Spices
• Seafood: Conservas Güeyu Mar, Chargrilled Sardine Loins
• Seasonings & Sweeteners: Airborne Honey, Creamed Clover Honey
• Spreads, Jams, Jellies: Janet's Finest Compotes, Peach Berry Jalapeño Compote
• Sweet Snacks: Norwegian Baked, KnekkeGodis

Winning products are featured throughout the Winter FancyFaire* trade show, offering participants myriad ways to discover and sample this industry-leading fare.

As with all SFA shows, Winter FancyFaire* is open to qualified members of the specialty food trade, industry affiliates, and media. For more information about the event or the sofi Awards, visit www.specialtyfood.com.

About Specialty Food Association 

The Specialty Food Association (SFA) was founded in 1952 and is the not-for-profit trade association of the $219-billion specialty food industry. Representing more than 4,400 businesses worldwide, SFA champions industry participation and success for a diverse community of makers, buyers, importers, distributors, and service providers by producing events, programs, and year-round resources and education. SFA owns and operates the Summer Fancy Food Show, Winter FancyFaire*, and the sofi™ Awards, which have honored excellence in specialty food and beverage annually since 1972. SFA also produces the e-newsletter Specialty Food SmartBrief, the Trendspotter Panel annual predictions and Show reports. Find out more at Specialtyfood.com, and connect with SFA on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and X.

SOURCE Specialty Food Association