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Runamok Maple's Ginger Root-Infused Syrup Impresses Le Bon Magot Wins Top Honor Continued on PAGE 15 And the sofi Award Goes to... Le Bon Magot®, artisan food producer f rom the New York City area, has won the specialty food industry's highest honor, the sofi™, for its Brinjal Caponata - Purple Aubergine with Cumin & Curry Leaves Category in the category for a pickle or preserved vegetable. "We are truly honored and humbled to be chosen among our industry peers," said Naomi Mobed, Le Bon Magot Founder and Chief Executive Officer. "The sofi recognizes our commitment to ensure that inspired ingredients sourced locally, spiced internationally and treated simply deliver flavors that transport to far flung locations all f rom the safety of your pantry." On the market since 2015, Le Bon Magot condiments and culinary ingredients have been recognized by food service professionals and retailers for their distinctive flavors, unique spice blends and painstaking attention paid to every aspect of the product – taste, texture and color. Earlier in 2018, Le Bon Magot won the Good Food Award for its Tomato and White Sultana Chutney with Ginger & Garam Masala, and in 2017, won five sofi Awards across a range of categories. KN Runamok Maple, a Vermont-based company that produces organic infused, barrel-aged, and smoked maple syrups, took home a 2018 sofi (specialty outstanding food innovation) Award for the best new product in the dessert sauce or topping category. Runamok's Ginger Root-Infused Maple Syrup stood out among 2,650 product entries, wowing a panel of 58 culinary experts during a blind taste test in March. The award-winning Ginger Root-Infused Syrup is one of a dozen products offered by Runamok Maple, a company founded by husband-wife team Eric and Laura Sorkin in 2006. This spicy and addictive syrup, which infuses fresh organic ginger, is the perfect topping for pancakes, waffles and desserts, as well as a wonderful addition to stir-fries, glazes, vinaigrettes and even cocktails. It retails for $16.95. For more information, visit www.runamokmaple.com. KN FOODIES FOCUS KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW n JUNE 2018 n www.kitchenwarenews.com 14 Peter's Yard Cracker Complements Cheeses Selecting the accompaniments for an array of cheese is an important as the cheese selection itself. Crackers should complement a cheese, and not overpower; the perfect savory cracker needs to enhance the eating experience. British artisan bakery, Peter's Yard, is encouraging specialty retailers to try its award-winning sourdough crispbread, especially Pink Peppercorn, which was named the best new cracker at the 2017 sofi™ Awards. Peter's Yard's crispbreads are inspired by the bakers' love of Swedish baking, made to an authentic traditional recipe, using all- natural ingredients that include organic whole-wheat flour, fresh milk, honey and a natural sourdough derived from a 40-year- old starter that is allowed to ferment and bubble for 16 hours before being used. Each batch of dough is rolled in rye flour, cut to shape and baked until golden, taking care to preserve the characteristic bubbles and curves that come from using a natural sourdough starter. The result is a light, crisp texture that makes the crispbread the perfect host for cheese. The Peter's Yard crispbreads are authentic and made just as they would have been centuries ago in Sweden. Some crispbreads have a characteristic hole in the centre, reminiscent of traditional life in Sweden. In years gone by, it was customary that large discs of crispbread were baked during the harvest and left to preserve over the long Swedish winters. The discs were made with a central hole so that they could be left on a wooden pole, often above the fireplace. The crispbreads are naturally high in fiber, free from anything artificial and also low in sugar and calories. The Peter's Yard range includes a variety of crispbread and pack sizes, so there is a crispbread to suit every eating occasion from a small 'mini' crispbread which is ideal for canapés, through to a larger 'single serving size' crispbread to enjoy with cheese. The combination of the crispbread's light, crisp texture and simple, high quality ingredients make them the perfect partner for any topping but in particular when served with cheese. The sofi Award-winning Pink Peppercorn crispbread has a delicate peppery touch. It perfectly partners a wide selection of cheese f rom mild creamy goat milk to a robust vintage English Cheddar. The Peter's Yard range is currently available through World's Best Cheese and Tony's. KN BY LORRIE BAUMANN The two best cheeses entered into this year's sofi Awards competition were made by Rogue Creamery and Vermont Creamery. Rogue Creamery won a gold sofi Award for Organic Rogue River Blue, which won from among 68 entries in the category for cow milk cheeses, while Vermont Creamery's Cremont, an aged mixed-milk cheese, won from among 65 entries in the category for non-cow milk and mixed-milk cheeses. Vermont Creamery also won the best new product award in the non-cow milk category for its Fresh Goat Cheese Log with Clover Blossom Honey and a silver award in the dairy and dairy alternative category for its Creme Fraiche. Medlee Foods, LLC, won the gold award for the best dairy or dairy alternative product with its Red Chile Seasoned Butter. Nduja Artisans Co. won the gold award for charcuterie with Finocchiona. The announcements came on April 11 in videotaped presentations by Specialty Food Association President Phil Kafarakis. Gold, silver and bronze awards were given on the basis of taste and ingredient quality, while new product winners were also judged on innovation, which was defined for the judges as an unexpected culinary experience, creativity in making the product healthier and/or sustainable or a sense that the product is on trend with changing consumer preferences. All of the winners will be displayed in the sofi Awards showcase at the Summer Fancy Food Show, June 30- July 2 at Javits Center in New York City. Gold awards also went to Loacker USA, Inc. for its Loacker Gran Pasticceria Tortina White in the baked good category, to La Tourangelle for its Roasted Virgin Peanut Oil in the baking ingredient category and for its roasted Pistachio Oil in the category for nut oils. La Tourangelle's Roasted Walnut Oil won the bronze award in the nut oils category. Wildly Delicious Fine Foods took home gold in the barbecue sauce category for its Badass Smoked Sriracha & Roasted Garlic Mop Sauce. The award for the best cooking sauce or marinade went to Salsaology for its Ancho Chile & Tamarind Sauce. In the three chocolate categories: one for dark chocolate, one for milk and white chocolate and one for a chocolate candy, the three gold awards went to Poco Dolce for its Olive Oil and Sea Salt Chocolate Bar, to Milkboy Swiss Chocolates for its Swiss Alpine Milk Chocolate with Crunchy Caramel and Sea Salt and to Droga Chocolates for its Money on Honey Toasted Coconut Almond. Milkboy Swiss Chocolates also won the silver award for Swiss Alpine Milk

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