Good Food Awards Year Two Finalists Announced

The Good Food Awards represents America at its best. We are a nation built on the innovations of farmers, entrepreneurs and makers—small businesses that support and stimulate vibrant local economies. In the long term, The Good Food Awards has set out to change the way America feeds itself, and in the short term, to foster and fuel a craft food renaissance that is taking shape from coast to coast.

Today, at a press breakfast at Il Buco Alimentari e Vineria in New York City, this year’s Good Food Award Finalists, coming from 25 different states, were announced in front of journalists, food producers and industry leaders. Emerging this year from 926 entered products, the Good Food Award Finalists are demonstrating that we no longer need to choose between great taste and good values: all of them are leaders in both sustainability and craftsmanship.

“The companies behind this year’s 144 Good Food Awards finalists are incredibly diverse, from an 8 person goat cheese dairy in Harrisburg, Missouri to a 400 person brewery in Colorado,” said Sarah Weiner, Director of Good Food Awards. “It is fascinating to see such different companies united in the values of sustainability and social responsibility, and producing incredibly delicious food. All around the country these small and medium size businesses are creating good jobs for their community and supporting other local businesses, from dairies to sustainable farmers to local graphic designers. Food manufacturing is one of the largest growth industries in the country, and ‘good food’ producers are creating both food and jobs that nourish our communities.”

United by their ethics, the Good Food Awards was created by a thriving community of food leaders, from nationally recognized journalists to your local coffee guru, compelled to honor their food crafting peers. From this group of finalists, the winners will be chosen and announced at the Good Food Awards Ceremony at the San Francisco Ferry Building on January 13, 2012 based on excellence in taste. This celebration will be followed by a public Good Food Awards Marketplace on January 14, where the winners will have the chance to sample and sell their winning products in front of national buyers, independent grocery store owners, media, and the food-loving public.

In its second year, the Good Food Awards has built strong partnerships with like-minded companies and organizations, ready to promote winners for their distinguished taste, quality and sustainable practices. Real business benefits include dozens of Whole Foods Market stores featuring in-store signage and displays to promote the winners, Williams Sonoma stocking several winning products in special Good Food Awards displays in 20 stores around the country, and Gilt Taste creating a Good Food Awards e-store in 2012.