SWEET VICTORY: TWO RHODE ISLAND MAKERS RECEIVE COVETED NATIONAL## GOOD FOOD AWARD
Hope & Main-based SanoBe Superfoods and Halvah Heaven beat out more than 2,000 contenders from across the country for recognition by the Good Food Foundation
Two Hope & Main member companies, SanoBe Superfoods and Halvah Heaven, came home victorious earlier this week from the 2018 Good Food Awards in San Francisco, CA. The annual national competition recognized 199 food companies out of more than 2,000 entrants this year. The awards were presented in style by culinary pioneer Alice Waters and actress Madhur Jaffrey, in categories that included sustainable??sourced and crafted charcuterie, cider, beer, cheese, chocolate, coffee, confections, preserved fish, honey, oils, pantry items, pickles, preserves, spirits and elixirs.
Getting a nomination for this competition is rigorous, and starts in August with blind taste-testing among 25 judges from around the country. The judges are charged with meeting strict standards on ingredients, sourcing and certifications. Once nominated, entries are judged by over 250 food crafters, chefs, farmers, journalists, retailers and thought leaders.
One of those leaders is Sue AnderBois, the Governor???s Director of Food Strategy who confirms that the national contest was ???incredibly competitive.??? Working with the Good Food Foundation, she has organized an opportunity for a number of ??Rhode Island food brands, including many Hope & Main member companies, to host a table at the Good Food Mercantile in New York City later this year to shine a spotlight on the rapid expansion of ??the new entrants into the marketplace that are coming out of our State.
SanoBe Superfoods founder Jennifer Beauregard developed her peanut butter product line to be super nutritious and delicious complete meals — in a jar.?? Each variety is produced with whole body health and wellness in mind. SanoBe, which translates to ???Be Healthy??? contains high concentrations of more than 30 trace minerals. Beauregard???s winning peanut butter is her Crunchy Cacao flavor.
Says Beauregard, ???This Good Food Awards is and honor and a blessing. To be included among some of the most creative and most responsible food producers in the country fuels my passion for inspiring others to heal their lives and to make healthy, conscious choices for themselves. This recognition inspires me to remain constant in my desire to offer quality at a reasonable cost, and to create additional delicious and healthy foods that the consumer will continue to love for their flavors and appreciate for their health benefits and value.???
Halvah Heaven founder Victoria Wallins decided to make her delicious tahini-based candy because she saw an opportunity in the world of small, creative purveyors. Halvah is mass-manufactured across the globe with mostly artificial flavors and preservatives, but Wallins takes a traditional approach, making each batch meticulously by hand, using all natural, gluten-free, vegan ingredients and organic sweeteners. Wallins??? winning halvah is her Silk Road flavor.
???The experience was so gratifying,??? says Wallins ???my obsession with halvah and years of trial and error is bearing fruit???Imagine, Alice Waters and Madur Jaffrey presented us with the awards. They shook our hands and gave us hugs and kisses. So warm!???
Lisa Raiola, Hope & Main???s Founder and President notes that both of these women- owned companies, exemplify how a dream for an original food product becomes not only a reality, ??but a true success driven by the vision and persistence of the entrepreneur. Raiola says, ???Victoria and Jen have been so clear about what they want to achieve with their businesses, and Hope & Main is proud to support them on this journey that has put Rhode Island on the national artisanal food map. These companies are helping to redefine Rhode Island???s food culture, and are bringing recognition to a flourishing food manufacturing economy by leading the way towards a more authentic and conscious food system.???
The wins kept coming for both Beauregard and Wallins all weekend long. Each participated in a wholesale show and mercantile event related to the awards, which resulted in new customers and connections with premier buyers from across the country. Nominations aren???t promised to any of this years winners for 2019, so both women are already preparing to defend their titles.
As the State???s premier food incubator, Hope & Main provides an environment for entrepreneurs like Beauregard and Wallins to test and develop, adjust and pivot, scale up and reach new markets.
ABOUT HOPE & MAIN
HOPE & MAIN is Rhode Island???s first culinary business incubator. We help local entrepreneurs jump-start early-stage food companies and food related businesses by providing low cost, low risk access to shared-use commercial kitchens and other industry-specific technical resources. Our goal is to help grow the local food economy by creating a community of support for food entrepreneurs and cultivating an environment where emerging culinary startups can test, create, scale and thrive. Hope & Main is a nonprofit organization.