Specialty Food Association Reveals 2026 sofi™ Awards Program, Winners to be Announced at First-Ever Winter FancyFaire*

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May 13, 2025, 11:15 ET

NEW YORK, May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Specialty Food Association (SFA) has announced notable changes to its sofi™ Awards program, including the narrowing of Gold Award categories to 25 to enhance competition, the addition of a Timeless Taste Grand Honor Award, and a celebration of all 2026 winners at the new Winter FancyFaire* trade show in San Diego, taking place January 11-13, 2026.

Established in 1972, the sofi Awards are among the most prestigious honors in the specialty food industry. Winners are selected through a rigorous blind tasting process by a panel of top industry buyers, with evaluations based on taste, ingredient quality, and innovation.

Submissions for the 2026 sofi Awards open on June 16, 2025, and close on August 25, 2025. SFA membership is required to submit a product for judging; interested brands are encouraged to apply for membership today!

Program Changes for 2026

Gold Award categories have been scaled down to 25, enhancing the level of competition in each category.
75 Gold and 3 Outstanding Packaging Finalists will be announced in the fall of 2025, ahead of Winter FancyFaire*.
The sofi Awards ceremony will be held at Winter FancyFaire* in San Diego, January 11–13, 2026. Winners of the 25 Gold Awards and 5 Grand Honors Awards will be announced live during the ceremony.
Feedback (including scores and judge comments) will be provided to each product entry.

"I am incredibly excited about the update we are bringing to the sofi awards this year! The sofi Awards have always been about recognizing excellence, and this year we're taking it a step further," said Mary Beth Vultee, SFA Senior Vice President of Membership. "By refining our categories and launching the Timeless Taste Grand Honor, we're not just celebrating the best products of today—we're honoring those makers who consistently deliver exceptional quality, craftsmanship, and innovation year after year."

The sofi Awards are judged at the Food Innovation Center at Rutgers University (FIC) by both FIC experts and specialty food buyers, who serve as the final judges. To learn more, explore the 25 product categories for 2026, and meet the esteemed panel of buyers who will be judging submissions, please visit https://www.specialtyfood.com/sofi.

Want to be the first to experience the new sofi Awards and taste the winning products? Join us at Winter FancyFaire* 2026.

About the Specialty Food Association
The Specialty Food Association (SFA), founded in 1952, is the not-for-profit trade association of the $207-billion specialty food industry. Representing more than 4,000 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.