Vermont Business Magazine Twenty-four Vermont food producers will participate in the Summer Fancy Food Show hosted by the Specialty Food Association in New York City from June 23rd through June 25th. The event is North America's largest marketplace devoted to specialty food and beverage producers. Exhibiting offers specialty food producers the chance to connect and promote their products to national and international buyers across every major buying channel.
The Vermont Specialty Food Association (VSFA) along with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets (VAAFM) will attend the show to provide support to Vermont specialty food producers. This year 13 Vermont producers will be joining the VSFA and VAAFM to exhibit in the Vermont Pavilion, a section dedicated to Vermont specialty food producers. Joining them are VSFA members: Vermont Nut Free Chocolates, Mad River Distillers, Big Picture Farm, Rock Maple Mountain, Maplebrook Farm, Sugar Bob’s Finest Kind, Vermont Harvest, Hidden Springs Maple, Blake Hill Preserves, Sap! Maple Beverages, Vermont Tortilla Company, Slopeside Syrup: Untapped, Up Mountain Switchel.
Vicky Allard and Joe Hanglin of Blake Hill Preserves at the Made in Vermont Marketplace in April 2018
“It’s always exciting to be part of the Summer Fancy Food Show,” says VSFA Executive Director Erin Sigrist. “Each year, the Vermont Pavilion showcases the very essence of our state; high-quality, delicious specialty foods and dedicated, engaged food producers that are passionate about their products, eager to meet buyers, and willing to work together in promoting the incredible specialty food industry in Vermont.”
Additional Vermont exhibitors include: Mount Mansfield Maple Products, Freedom Foods, Small Batch Organics, Olivia’s Croutons, King Arthur Flour, Runamok Maple, Coombs Family Farms, Drew’s Organics, Vermont Creamery, Wild Hibiscus Flower Company and Butternut Mountain Farm.
The SFA sofi Awards, the most prestigious awards in the specialty food industry, are held in conjunction with the Summer Fancy Food Show. Sofi stands for “specialty outstanding food innovation,” and honors excellence across a variety of food categories, from vinegars to vegan snacks. The winners of the 2019 sofi Awards were announced May 1st with six of Vermont’s specialty food producers taking home eight awards across seven categories. Vermont’s gold winners were Douglas Sweets and Vermont Creamery.
Vermont Creamery won gold in the cheese/non-cow category for their Coupole cheese and a second gold in the dairy, yogurt, dairy alternative category for their Cultured Butter with Seas Salt Crystals. Douglas Sweets won gold in the cookie category for their Italian Lemon Rosemary Shortbread.
Additional Vermont finalists and their categories include:
2017 Brattleboro Road Pitch winner, Bob Hausslein, Sugar Bob's Finest Kind
- Sugar Bob’s Finest Kind – Smoked Maple Sriracha – Hot Sauce (Silver)
- Vermont Creamery – Bijou - Cheese/non-dairy (Bronze)
- Runamok Maple – Organic Vermont Maple Cream - Dessert Sauce (New Product)
- Blake Hill Preserves – Farm and Forage Wild Rose and Strawberry Jam – Jam, Preserve (New Product)
- Cabot Creamery – Cabot Centennial Cheddar - Cheese, cow (New Product)
About the Vermont Specialty Food Association:
The Vermont Specialty Food Association is a statewide organization representing over 200 food producers and suppliers to the industry. It is one of the nation’s premier statewide associations for the specialty food trade, celebrating over 30 years of service to the industry.
To learn more about the work VSFA does, visit their website at www.vtspecialtyfoods.org, follow them on Facebook & instagram, call their office at (802) 839-1930.
Vermont Specialty Food Association www.vtspecialtyfoods.org