Specialty Food Association Announces 75 Finalists for 2027 sofi™ Awards Ahead of Winter FancyFaire* in January

Based on scores from retail buyer judges, 75 products advance as Gold Award finalists and three as Outstanding Packaging Design finalists

NEW YORK, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Specialty Food Association (SFA) today unveiled the finalists for its 2027 sofi™ Awards, celebrating excellence in specialty food and beverage products across 25 categories. Announced in advance of Winter FancyFaire* taking place January 17-19, 2027 in San Francisco, these finalists offer an early preview of trends that will come to life during the trade show and shape the year ahead in food and beverage.

Running since 1972, the sofi Awards are one of the most coveted honors in the food industry. Standing for "specialty outstanding food innovation," the awards utilize a rigorous blind judging process with a panel of top industry buyers who score products based on flavor, appearance, texture, aroma, ingredient quality, and innovation. This year, judges evaluated more than 1,000 total applications across 25 categories.

The 75 Gold and three Outstanding Packaging Design finalists are:

Alcoholic Beverages

• Demerara Syrup – El Guapo
• Joachim Amaro – Lettieri & Co.
• Mario's Hard Espresso – Lettieri & Co.

Bakery, Bread, & Crackers

• Black Pepper Turmeric Crackers – Top Seedz
• Gruyere Biscuits – Effie's Homemade
• Rosemary & Black Pepper – Jöey Nordic Seed Crisps

Baking Ingredients

• Brown Butter Milk Chocolate Chips – French Broad Chocolates
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix – Cho's Bakeshop
• Leaven All Purpose Instant Sourdough – Leaven Foods, Inc.

Cereals & Granola

• Chocolate Granola – Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate
• Dark Chocolate Granola with Sea Salt – Jamie's Farm
• Maple Pecan Granola with Sea Salt – Jamie's Farm

Charcuterie Meats

• Bourbon & Sour Cherries Salami (The Manhattan) – Brooklyn Cured
• Dirty Martini Salami – Brooklyn Cured
• Spicy Capicollo – Fra' Mani

Cheese

• Farm Reserve Blue Cheese – Maytag Dairy Farms
• Hatch Chile – Cypress Grove
• Purple Haze – Cypress Grove

Chocolate

• Bubó Barcelona Macadam – Manicaretti Italian Food Importers
• Citrus Eclipse 56% Dark Chocolate Bar – KESSHŌ
• Ombar Organic Blonde Caramelised White Choco Bar – Eurok, Inc.

Coffee & Tea

• Cardamom Rose Tea Concentrate – Dona
• Mushroom Chocolate Mint Tea – Roots in Harmony
• Sobacha (roasted tartary buckwheat tea) – Mojo Cacao

Condiments

• Kimchi Chili – Kimchi Works
• Martha Steward Honey Drizzle Fig Oregano – Turpone Foods
• Moromi Black Twice Brewed Soy Sauce – Moromi

Dairy & Eggs

• Kesar Pista – Backyard Buffalo
• Pasture Raised Soy & Corn-Free Eggs – Utopihen Farms
• Vanilla Crème Fraiche – Vermont Creamery

Frozen & Prepared Foods

• Chicken Tikka Masala – Café Spice, LLC
• Guajillo Chicken Burrito Bowl – Catina Latina
• Taiwanese Braised Beef Noodle Soup – OMU

Grains, Pasta, & Legumes

• Beef Bolognese Ravioli – Nuovo Pasta Production, LTD
• Cordero Edible Flowers Risotto – Italian Products & Beyond
• Vorti-cee, Coastal Collection – Pasta Santina

Meat

• Kasekrainer – Olympia Provisions
• Regenerative Organic Certified® Grass-Fed Beef – Niman Ranch
• Uncured Wagyu Beef Bacon – Foris Extraordinary Meats

Non-Alcoholic Beverages

• Cucumber Mint Jabin – Jabin Beverage Company
• Golden Milk Powder Mix – Ocean Root
• Hoodoo Frontier Apple, Ponderosa Pine, and Honey Heirloom Beverage – NoWhere Foods

Nuts, Seeds, Trail Mix, & Dried Fruit

• Fennel Seed Mouth Freshener – Chikka Chikka
• Gourmet Jumbo Cashew Nuts - Roasted – Tanza Kindness
• The Heirloom Series Rare & Unusual Dates – Rancho Meladuco Date Farm

Oils & Vinegar

• Acebuche Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Mazara Foods
• Big Picture Foods Regenerative Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Atalanta Corporation
• ENZO Organic Clementine Crush Olive Oil – ENZO Olive Oil Company

Pickles, Olives, & Fermented Foods

• Divina Spicy Caramelized Onion Spread – FOODMatch
• Green Olive Tapenade – New Canaan Farms
• Kimchi – Kimchi Works

Plant-Based Alternatives

• Dairy-Free Feta Cheese Block – Plant Ahead
• Golden Mylk Biscoff – Clementine's Ice Cream
• Vegan Vanilla Bean – Clementine's Ice Cream

Salsas & Dips

• Garlic Tomato Lonsa – Aaji's
• Original Tomato Lonsa – Aaji's
• Smoked Sturgeon Spread, Crown Jewel White Sturgeon Caviar, Estate Smoked Sturgeon – Tsar Nicoulai Caviar

Sauces

• Mesa Roja – Karma Sauce
• Orchard Pond Honey Hot Sauce – Orchard Pond Organics
• Quentin's Original Hot Mustard Sauce – Quentin's Sauce

Savory Snacks

• Charcuterie Trail Mix – BEEST Snacks
• Kimchi Flavor Coated Gourmet Popcorn – Chef Poppin International Inc.
• Rosemary Parm Popcorn – Miss Hannah's Gourmet Popcorn Co.

Seafood

• Crown Jewel White Sturgeon Caviar – Tsar Nicoulai Caviar
• Estate Smoked Sturgeon – Tsar Nicoulai Caviar
• Portomar Cockles in Brine – De Medici Imports

Seasonings & Sweeteners

• Linden Blossom Honey – Sunday Night Foods
• New Zealand Rata Honey – Airborne Honey
• Raw Creamed Honey – Grand River Honey Co.

Spreads

• Lime & Yuzu Curd – Umikah
• Pistachio Crunch Almond Butter – Big Spoon Roasters
• Tropical Curd – Umikah

Sweet Snacks

• Golden Milk Caramels – Big Picture Farm
• New York Maple Cotton Candy – Cirrus 9 Candy
• Wild Raspberry Cotton Candy – Cirrus 9 Candy

Outstanding Packaging:

• Café de Paris Butter – Bifrost Butters
• Melon Vision – forchewn
• Rosemary Caramel Chocolate Bar – Wildwood

"Each year, the sofi Awards finalists raise the bar for taste and ingenuity in specialty food and beverage," said Leana Salamah, SVP of Marketing and Communications at SFA. "These products all received top marks from our expert panel of buyers and offer a unique preview of the trends that will lead the industry in 2027. Congratulations to our finalists!"

SFA will unveil the sofi Award winners live at Winter FancyFaire* in a dedicated ceremony attended by buyers, investors, press, manufacturers, and more. The sofi celebration takes place on Sunday, January 17, 2027, from 5 to 7 p.m. In addition to the 25 Gold Award winners, SFA will also reveal the five Grand Honors Award winners: Product of the Year – Food; Product of the Year – Beverage; Outstanding New Product; Timeless Taste; and Outstanding Packaging Design.

Throughout the three-day show, Winter FancyFaire* will further elevate all 75 finalists through a product showcase and curated buyer opportunities.

Beyond the honor of winning, the sofi Awards program offers each brand direct product feedback from industry experts. These insights let each maker understand how their products were received, identify opportunities for product refinement, and continue growing their businesses.

Want to be the first to know about the 2027 sofi Award winners? Registration for Winter FancyFaire* is now open to all qualified members of the specialty food trade, industry affiliates, and media. To learn more about the event and register to attend, please visit www.winterfancyfaire.com.

About the Specialty Food Association

The Specialty Food Association (SFA) was founded in 1952 and is the not-for-profit trade association of the $219-billion specialty food industry. Representing more than 4,800 businesses worldwide, SFA champions industry participation and success for a diverse community of makers, buyers, importers, distributors, and service providers by producing events, programs, and year-round resources and education. SFA owns and operates the Summer Fancy Food Show, Winter FancyFaire*, and the sofi™ Awards, which have honored excellence in specialty food and beverage annually since 1972. SFA also oversees the Good Food Mercantile, Good Food Qualification, and Good Food Awards, celebrating tasty, authentic, responsibly crafted food and the people behind it. Find out more at Specialtyfood.com, and connect with SFA on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

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SOURCE Specialty Food Association