RANDOLPH, Vt. — Two Vermont Cheese Council founding member companies and five Vermont Cheesemakers Festival exhibitors received honors for their products at the 2019 Sofi Award Competition. The Specialty Foods Association is the largest national specialty food association and annual presents its awards at the National Fancy Food Show in New York City in late June. Top specialty food products in 40 categories are judged by 60 of the United States top chefs, food editors, specialty food buyers, recipe developers, and culinary instructors, each with expertise in diverse food categories such as oils, cheese, chocolate, charcuterie, and condiments.
Vermont Creamery, located in Websterville, Vermont received three awards for their products: Bronze medal for Bijou, Gold Medal for Coupole and a Gold Medal for their Cultured Butter with Sea Salt Crystals. Vermont Creamery is a perennial favorite at the Sofi Awards. The Sofi Awards are presented to the very best specialty foods products in 40 categories. Over 2000 products were entered with only four products winning in each category
Cabot Creamery Cooperative, located in Cabot, Vermont won a 2019 Best New Product for their Cabot Centennial Cheddar. The commemorative Cabot Centennial Cheddar is a five-year-old cheddar, dipped in black wax with gold embossed label and a commemorative black tin box. The cheddar was culled and selected five years ago in anticipation of Cabot’s centennial as a dairy cooperative.
Along with cheeses, five companies that participate in the annual Vermont Cheesemakers Festival, presented by the Vermont Cheese Council, were awarded medals. Wozz! Kitchen Specialties won three awards: Silver Medal for their Moroccan Tomato Onion Relish, a Silver Medal for their Grapefruit, Juniper & Honey Vinegar, and a Gold Medal for their Vietnamese Green Tea and Mint Dressing. Runamok Maple Products won a 2019 Best New Product Award for their Organic Vermont Maple Cream.
Douglas Sweets received the Gold Medal for their Italian Lemon- Rosemary Shortbread. Blake Hill Preserves won a 2019 Best New Product for their Farm & Forage Wild Rose & strawberry Jam. Sugar Bob’s Finest Kind won a Silver Medal for his Smoked Maple Sriracha Sauce.
Vermont’s cheese industry is a $750 million-dollar industry in Vermont supporting thousands of jobs and maintaining tens of thousands of acres of farmland within the state. The Vermont Specialty Food Association represents one of the most highly valued state brands in the country.
The Vermont Cheese Council is a non-profit trade association representing over 50 individual cheese producers in the state. Its mission is to promote education and the production of quality Vermont cheese. It presents the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival in August of each year. The Vermont Cheesemakers Festival was picked as one of USA Today 10Best Specialty Food Festivals in the United States. The Festival presents 45 Vermont cheesemakers and over 90 artisan food and beverage companies to 1900 tickets holders from New England and the United States.
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