3,000 Products Competed for Top Specialty Food Association Award
Eureka, California (May 3rd, 2017) – Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate has won sofi Gold Award in the Dark Chocolate category in the Specialty Food Association’s 2017 sofi™ Awards competition.
A sofi is the top honor in the $127 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.
The 72% Madagascar, Sambirano was one of 154 Winners selected by a national panel of 62 specialty food experts from 3,000 entries across 39 categories. Every entry is carefully assessed by passionate and knowledgeable food professionals including chefs, culinary experts, academics, food writers, and category buyers. Products are judged on taste, including flavor, appearance, texture and aroma, as well as ingredient quality. All tastings are blind.
“We are thrilled that we’ve won GOLD for the second year in a row. Being up against such incredible chocolate makers and chocolatiers in such a broad category ‘Dark Chocolate’ is truly an honor. Madagascar, Sambirano was the first cacao bean we ever bought and we’ve been making this bar for almost 6 years now. We feel that this GOLD award is proof that over time this bar has become better and better.” Says Dustin Taylor, owner of Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate. 72% Madagascar, Sambirano can be found at Dean & Deluca, select Whole Foods Stores, Central Markets, Lolli & Pops, and Specialty stores nationwide.
“A sofi means a product, and the people behind it, have arrived,” says Phil Kafarakis, president, Specialty Food Association. “This year’s winners represent a devotion to excellence and innovation in specialty food that continues to fuel our industry, excite consumers and expand retail offerings around the world.”
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 3,400 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 sofi Awards at specialtyfood.com/sofi.