The Good Food Awards Trounce Last Year's Submission Numbers
The Good Food Awards took in more entries than ever this year, from all over the US. Stay tuned for the judging and events in January, and hooray for craft food producers!
The Good Food Awards—the first national awards to recognize American craft food producers who excel in both taste and sustainability—successfully closed its call for entries (August 5-31st) with over 1,350 entries representing 49 states and 1 federal district, and are gearing up for the biggest Blind Tasting to date since the Awards' inception. There was an overall increase in entries of 40% from last year, indicating the growth in a movement to create businesses based on the sort of food we all want to eat: tasty, authentic and responsible.
In the final four days of the entry period, submissions nearly doubled, with several states representing at the last possible moment. An Alaskan salmonberry, lingonberry, and blueberry preserve entry came in 7 minutes before the midnight deadline. This year, the Good Food Awards received their first ever entries from North and South Dakota (spiced cauliflower from Foxholm, ND and an Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Birhanu coffee from Sioux Falls, SD), as well as Nevada (honey ganache from Las Vegas and a Guatemala coffee from Reno) and Arkansas (Gouda from Little Rock). There was also a significant increase in entries from Washington D.C., Texas and North Carolina, and a very strong showing from the country’s smallest state, Rhode Island.
New and unique entries from this year’s crop include chipotle beef bak kwa and Korean BBQ jerky, as well as cajetas, pralines and limoncellos. Chiles are appearing across all categories, from chile verde beer to jalapeno chevre to ghost chile caramels. Entries this year reveal the impressive breadth and depth of American culinary traditions, new and old. The Awards are helping to fuel a national Good Food renaissance, publicly recognizing producers who are preserving cultural heritage, enhancing the country's agricultural landscape, and contributing to their local economies.
