MyNorth News Service
(Press Release provided by American Spoon)
American Spoon has made the finalist list for two awards in the Specialty Food Association’s 2015 sofi™ Award competition. The company’s Chili Jam is a finalist for Outstanding Condiment, and their Bloody Mary Mix is a finalist for Outstanding New Product.
A sofi is the top honor in the $109 billion specialty food industry. “sofi” stands for Specialty Outstanding Food Innovation and represents the best of the best from members of the Specialty Food Association.
American Spoon’s Chili Jam and Bloody Mary Mix were two of 125 Finalists selected by a national panel of specialty food experts from 2,715 entries across 32 Awards categories. Winners will be announced June 29, 2015, by Ted Allen, host of Food Network’s Chopped, at a red-carpet ceremony at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City.
Chili Jam, introduced in June 2014, is a chunky savory jam similar in flavor and use to sriracha. It features the bold heat and smoky sweetness of Fresno chilies, many of which are grown by Dave Coveyou of Coveyou Scenic Farm just three miles from American Spoon’s Petoskey kitchen. The company began making and selling Bloody Mary Mix last summer, and it has quickly become one of their bestselling products. Both Chili Jam and Bloody Mary Mix are sold at American Spoon’s six retail stores, online at spoon.com, and at independent specialty retailers throughout the country. The products are also staples on the menu at The American Spoon Café in Downtown Petoskey.
“We are excited to have our Chili Jam and Bloody Mary Mix among the finalists,” says Noah Marshall-Rashid, president of American Spoon. “We’re proud that a 33-year-old company like ours continues to be recognized for craftsmanship and innovation in a marketplace that has seen such a resurgence in recent years, and we’re honored to be a part of this community of artisans and makers.”
“A sofi means a product, and the people behind it, have arrived,” says Ann Daw, president of the Specialty Food Association. “This year’s finalists represent a devotion to excellence and innovation in specialty food that continues to fuel our industry.”
The sofi Awards are open to members of the Specialty Food Association, a not-for-profit trade association established in 1952 for food artisans, importers, and entrepreneurs with more than 3,000 members in the U.S. and abroad. For more information on the association and its Fancy Food Shows, go to specialtyfood.com. Learn more about the 2014 sofi Awards at specialtyfood.com/sofi.
American Spoon Media Contact: Megan Feeley, Marketing Director, 231-344-2232, meganf@spoon.com
Specialty Food Association Media Contact: Louise Kramer, Public Relations Director; 646-878-0130, lkramer@specialtyfood.com
P.O. Box 566 Petoskey, MI 49770 888-735-6700 (P) 800-847-2512 (F) hello@spoon.com
ABOUT AMERICAN SPOON:
American Spoon is an artisanal fruit-preserving company located in Petoskey, Michigan. Founded in 1982 by Justin Rashid and New York chef Larry Forgione, both recognized by the James Beard Foundation as Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America, the company crafts fruit preserves, condiments, and sauces in small batches using primarily locally-sourced fruits. For over thirty years, American Spoon has worked to build direct and personal relationships with Michigan’s independent fruit growers and foragers. American Spoon products are available at the company’s six retail stores, through its website and mail order catalog, and through a variety of national specialty food retailers. Additionally, the company showcases some of these products along with its authentic housemade gelato at the American Spoon Café adjacent to the original American Spoon retail store in Petoskey, Michigan.