Specialty Food Magazine

SEP 2012

Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.

Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/79798

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 65 of 123

T oday's sofi Awards, spanning 32 categories and more than 2,500 annual entrants, had narrower—but no less influential—beginnings when the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade instituted the event at the 1973 Summer Fancy Food Show. Then known as the NASFT Product Awards, the competition encompassed just two categories: Imported Fine Food and Domestic Fine Food. Winners that first year were Raffetto Co., which won the Domestic Fine Food award for its brandied fruits, and the Iliffe Co., judged to have the "most unique or exotic non-food item" with its Yogurteria product. At the time, Dan Carter, then NASFT chairman, cred- ited the awards as being integral to focusing media attention on the Fancy Food Show. In those early years, one of the two Product Award recipients would be declared winner of the "Grand Show Award" and receive strong publicity at the Show, explains Ron Tanner, NASFT's vice president, communications, education, government and industry relations. Over time, the Awards expanded to include such categories as Cooking Accessory, Domestic Candy, Esthetic, Product Line and What's New. In 1990, NASFT reorganized the Product Awards com- petition to reflect the growing trade. "Buyers, restaurateurs, distribu- tors and other members of the trade were yearning to learn about the best products," Tanner says. NASFT increased the category count to 20, encompassing more familiar categories that paved the way toward today's lineup, such as Outstanding New Product, Outstanding Classic, Outstanding Cookie or Cracker and Outstanding Savory Condiment, Pasta Sauce, Cooking Enhancer, Salsa or Spice. The association also grew its judging panel, with representatives from spe- cialty food shops, supermarkets and other merchants. In 2007, under the direction of NASFT president Ann Daw, the annual awards underwent another significant revamp, beginning with its renaming to sofi, which stands for "specialty outstanding food innovation." NASFT expanded the number of categories from 20 to 30, adding new and redefined options such as Outstanding USDA Certified Organic Product. Many categories were divided, such as Outstanding Confection, which became Outstanding Chocolate and Outstanding Non-Chocolate, to create a more level playing field among contenders. The judging process grew in number and scope of judges to include caterers, chefs and online retailers along with specialty food and supermarket buyers and natural foods merchants. Judges examine and taste each product entry (tastings exclude Non-Food items) and vote for Finalists. They also score each entry for quality, innovation, packaging/presentation, ingredient profile and pricing. Those scores are compiled and shared with the companies. In 2009, the Awards presentation, hosted each year as part of the Summer Fancy Food Show, was redesigned into a glamorous event in keeping with the sofi Awards' growing prestige. Each year since, at the start of the ceremony, all Finalists walk down a red carpet amid applause from their industry peers. "We wanted to add pizzazz to the ceremony," shares NASFT communications director Louise Kramer, who manages the annual sofi Awards. "The sofis have always been important to the industry and we wanted the event to reflect that fact." Each Winner is invited on stage to make a brief acceptance speech, further allowing them to be recognized for their achievement and express gratitude to those who helped them succeed. The Awards ceremony has grown over the years to include key- note speeches from some of specialty foods' most influential chefs and food celebrities, including Jacques Pepin, Ming Tsai, Dan Barber, Cat Cora and, most recently, José Andrés. Since the awards' inception, upwards of 1,400 companies have been honored. Below is a look at some of the Winners and Finalists over the years. 2003 1992 Today a well-known brand, Terra Chips, a mixture of six root vegetables in vibrant colors, was only on the market a couple of years when it won Gold for Outstanding Hors d'Oeuvres or Snack Food. 1996 Stonewall Kitchen and The Republic of Tea teamed up to create the Outstanding New Product of 1996, Ginger Peach Tea Jam. High-end salts were just becoming a hot trend when Victoria Gourmet won Outstanding Food Gift Pack for Victoria Taylor's Culinary Salts of the World. SEPTEMBER 2012 S7

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Specialty Food Magazine - SEP 2012