You put time, energy, and love into your specialty food product. Your mom is a huge fan. Your friends rave about it. Then, amazingly, people you don’t know started telling their friends that it’s the best jam/pickle/caramel they’ve ever had. You know it’s the best, you’re ready to spread the word, and winning a food award can help you do that.
What Can Winning a Food Award Do For Me?
It’s legitimizing. Your product stands above the rest. Now your potential customers don’t need to take your word for it.
Bragging rights. You’re given exclusive use of the winner’s logo for display on your website, in press releases, and marketing materials.
Increased exposure. Food awards include national exposure and press opportunities.
What Are the Best Food Awards to Consider?
“Taste, Authenticity, Responsibly Produced”
- The king of food awards. For makers who are serious about community and local, organic ingredients. Criteria for application is strict.
- Categories: Beer, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, coffee, confections, pickles, preserves, spirits, oil, and honey.
- Prize: The Good Food Awards Seal and participation in the Good Food Mercantile.
- When to apply: Mid-summer
“Spotlights the maker, supports the local, and celebrates the handmade”
- 10 award winners – 9 judged and 1 audience choice winner. (The audience choice award can be a bit of a popularity contest. Be prepared to solicit votes from your friends, family, and customers.)
- Categories: Agriculture and sustainability, bottled, jarred and canned, dry goods, restaurateur, sweets and baked goods, wine and spirits.
- Prize: $10,000 to grow business, trip for two to NYC, a spot in American Made Market, a feature on marthastewart.com.
- When to apply: summer
sofi Awards (specialty outstanding food innovation)
“Representing culinary creativity across America and around the globe”
- Open only to members of the Specialty Food Association and to new products introduced for sale after July.
- Categories: Click here to see all 32 categories and past finalists.
- Prize: Sofi trophy, exclusive use of sofi logo, special features on specialtyfood.com and in Specialty Food Magazine, part of special display at the Winter and Summer Fancy Food Shows.
- When to apply: Early spring
What Other Food Awards Should I Consider?
Food award programs pop up all the time. Here are a few others we’ve noticed lately.
FABI Awards from the National Restaurant Association (NRA)
Good Taste Awards from Saveur
IFE World Food Innovation Awards from FoodBev Media
Prepared Foods Spirit of Innovation Awards
Santé Gold Star Award from iSanté magazine with four categories considered: Restaurant Wine Hospitality, Restaurant Spirits Hospitality, Restaurant Cooking Hospitality, and Restaurant Service
Scovie Awards from the producers of the Fiery Food Show
Food & Drink Awards, hosted by Lux
Do you have an experience with applying for or winning a food award? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
About Julie Ciezadlo
Julie is a copywriter and social media manager at The Condiment Marketing Co. She is a Colorado native (a rare thing around here) and studied at the University of Colorado (Anthropology and English) and Cook Street Culinary School (Pastry).
