Timonium, MD (May 1, 2019) – Michele’s Granola, a small-batch granola company based in Maryland, has won the bronze award in the Granola Cereal category of the Specialty Food Association’s 2019 sofi™ Awards, a top honor in the $140 billion specialty food industry.
The sofi™ award, which stands for “specialty outstanding food innovation,” was granted to the company’s spring Lemon Pistachio variety and is one of 148 winners among nearly 2,000 entries across 39 categories. Winners were selected through a blind tasting by a national panel of specialty food professionals including chefs, culinary experts, academics, food writers, and category buyers. This is not the first sofi™ award for Michele’s Granola; their Ginger Hemp granola garnered the gold trophy in 2016.
“We’re honored to be recognized by the Specialty Food Association for the unique quality and taste of our Lemon Pistachio granola. We put a lot of love and attention into our handmade products, and it’s especially nice when the dedication and talent of our team is recognized with a coveted award like this,” said Michele Tsucalas, founder and owner of Michele’s Granola. Michele’s acceptance speech video may be found on the Special Food Association website here.
“A sofi recognizes an extraordinary product and the people behind it,” says Phil Kafarakis, president, Specialty Food Association. “This year’s finalists 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.”
This award is another milestone in a record-breaking year for Michele’s Granola, during which they extensively expanded their distribution nationally, completed Non-GMO Project verification, and launched a new variety, Almond Butter granola.
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About Michele’s Granola
Michele’s Granola makes a variety of small batch granola from scratch and is prepared fresh daily using premium natural, organic, GMO-free ingredients. Founded in 2006, the company now produces 20,000 pounds of granola each week, available at michelesgranola.com, on Amazon, and distributed to more than 800 natural foods retailers, grocery stores and food service facilities across 34 states. Michele’s is committed to improving nutrition and supporting local food entrepreneurship by donating 1% of all sales to non-profits with a food-based mission. For more information, visit www.michelesgranola.com.
About the Specialty Food Association
The Specialty Food Association is a thriving community of food artisans, importers and entrepreneurs. Established in 1952 in New York, the not-for-profit trade association provides its 3,800 members in the U.S. and abroad the tools, knowledge and connections to champion and nurture their companies in an always-evolving marketplace. The Association owns and produces the Winter and Summer Fancy Food Shows, and presents the sofi™ Awards honoring excellence in specialty food. Learn more at specialtyfood.com
Michele’s Granola Media Contact:
Lauren Shafer, lauren@michelesgranola.com
410-350-0021 x1002
Specialty Food Association Media Contact:
PR Department, press@specialtyfood.com