Eight Vermont Businesses Win Prestigious Good Food Awards in San Francisco

On Friday, January 20^th, eight Vermont businesses were presented with a Good Food Award at the gala Awards Ceremony, which took place at the historic Herbst Theater in San Francisco, California. Chosen from 2,059 entrants and 291 finalists, the Good Food Awards describes the 193 award recipients as rising to the top in a blind tasting and rigorous vetting to confirm they met specific standards around environmentally sound agricultural practices, good animal husbandry, sourcing transparency and responsible relationships throughout the supply chain.

“We are extremely proud to once again be recognized as a national leader in tasty, authentic, and responsibly produced food,” says Anson Tebbetts, Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets. “Vermont will continue to grow our food system to support our thriving local economy, and produce the most delicious and innovative products across the country.” 

Below are the eight Vermont awardees honored for their exceptional products and contribution to a local, sustainable economy:

·         Big Picture Farm, Farmstead Chocolate Covered Caramels

·         Fat Toad Farm, Vanilla Bean Goats’ Milk Caramel Sauce

·         Grafton Village Cheese, Bear Hill Cheese, a 100% sheep’s milk, washed-rind, alpine-style cheese

·         Green Jam Man, Honey Sage Pear Jam

·         Spring Brook Farm, Reading Cheese, a raclette-style, washed-rind cow’s milk cheese

·         Sumptuous Syrups of Vermont, Farm to Bar Tart Cherry Rich Simple Syrup

·         Vermont Amber Organic Toffee, Fennel Seed Toffee

·         Vermont Creamery, Bonne Bouche, an aged, 100% goat’s milk cheese with a geotrichum rind sprinkled with ash

Allison Hooper of Vermont Creamery, who spoke for the Good Food Awards cheese winners says, “It’s a tremendous honor to be a Good Food Award recipient.  For Bonne Bouche to earn this accolade twice in two years, is a true testament to our team’s commitment to transparency and innovation.” Vermont Creamery introduced Bonne Bouche in 2001 and quickly won the hearts and palates of cheese lovers and brought home a bronze medal at the 28^th annual World Cheese Awards.

On Saturday, January 21^st, 13 Vermont crafters and one Vermont retailer attended the Good Food Mercantile, an un-trade show hosted to connect Good Food winners, finalists, and members. Six of the 13 Vermont businesses received funding to support their attendance in part from the Trade Show Grant Program administered by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture. 

The seventh Good Food Awards recognized businesses in 14 categories: beer, cider, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, coffee, confections, honey, pantry, pickles, preserves, spirits, oil, and preserved fish. Vermont businesses were represented in four of the 14 categories; cheese, confections, preserves, and spirits; and had 16 finalists of which the eight winner were chosen. Each winner will be identified with the Good Food Award Seal which guarantees a high quality, delicious product committed to environmentally sound business practices and social good within their community.

For a comprehensive list of the 2017 Good Food awards winners visit Good Food awards.

For more information, contact: Lauren Masseria, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets, 116 State Street, Montpelier VT 05602  Lauren.masseria@vermont.gov  802.505.5413