2021 Good Food Awards Open for Entries

July 6, 2020 by goodfoodawards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GOOD FOOD AWARDS ENTRY PERIOD OPENS
Now more than ever, recognizing food crafters rooted in the common good

San Francisco, CA (July 6, 2020) – Today marks the launch of a coast-to-coast call for entries of beer, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, cider, coffee, confections, elixirs, grains, honey, fish, oils, pantry, pickles, preserves, spirits and snacks. The Good Food Awards, now in its eleventh year, is the only national initiative to recognize food crafters who excel in taste, sustainability, and social responsibility. New this year, all entrants will have access to judge feedback ($10); and as a first step in a multi-year plan to call in and support BIPOC-owned businesses, the Good Food Foundation is offering a free entry ($78) to all food crafters that identify as black or BIPOC-owned.

This year, food crafters are faced with diverse new challenges. The coffee shops and bars that served expertly roasted beans, well crafted beer, cider and spirits are closed. Restaurants that showcased artisan cheese and charcuterie are selling a fraction of what they have in the past. Trade shows that connected makers and buyers are on hiatus. At the same time, opportunity exists: consumers have shifted from spending over half of their food budgets on dining out to spending nearly 100% on groceries. The Good Food Awards aims to direct these dollars towards values-driven companies making exceptionally delicious food.

Hit especially hard by the pandemic are BIPOC food crafters, who have always faced greater barriers to entry. Catalyzed by Black Lives Matter and a commitment to be part of the solution, the Good Food Foundation is embarking on a layered, multi-year effort to build greater equity and representation in the food system. With an understanding that change takes time but must start now, the Good Food Foundation has creating a paid, BIPOC led Equity Task Force with production, retail, and distribution experience to develop a three year Action Plan. Its first members are Chantelle Bourdeaux, Rocky Mountain Regional Sales Director for A Priori Specialty Foods; Chris Bailey, Owner of Bloom Caramel & Microenterprise Developer at Portland Mercado; Corey Rateau, Senior Category Manager at Good Eggs; Keba Konte, Founder of Red Bay Coffee; Linda Tay Esposito, Municipal Marketplace Director at La Cocina; and Sana Javeri Kadri, Founder of Diaspora Co.

To enter the Good Food Awards, crafters fill out a short form at goodfoodfdn.org/awards/entry-form by July 31, and send samples in September. An entry fee ($78) covers sorting, transport and storage (BIPOC-owned businesses email connect@goodfoodfdn.org for a free entry code). A special Early Bird discount of half off a second entry (code EARLYBIRD) is available to all makers through Wednesday, July 8. We aim to include everyone who meet the Good Food Awards standards and encourage anyone suffering financially to reach out to katherine@goodfoodfdn.org to discuss a subsidized entry fee. Updates to the Blind Tasting format in response to pubic health recommendations will be posted at: https://goodfoodfdn.org/awards/covid-19/

Organizers The Good Food Awards is organized by the Good Food Foundation, a California based 501 (c) 3 formerly known as Seedling Projects, in collaboration with a broad community of food producers, chefs, journalists and passionate food-lovers. It is also the organizing force behind the Good Food Guild, Good Food Mercantile and Good Food Merchants Alliance.

Sponsors Special thanks to presenting sponsor the Good Food Merchants Collaborative, composed of 19 of the country’s top independently owned retailers from Oakland to Philadelphia, committed to supporting America’s great food producers in their own communities and across the country: Bi-Rite Market, Canyon Market, Cowgirl Creamery, Cured, Di Bruno Bros., Each Peach Market, Foragers Market, Glen’s Garden Market, Good Earth Natural Foods, Goose the Market, Harmons Grocery, Look’s Market, Market Hall Foods, Market of Choice, TASTE, The Palace Market, Woodstock Farmers’ Market, World Foods Portland and Zingerman’s Family of Businesses.

Media Contact Katherine Harris | 415.447.3268 | katherine@goodfoodfdn.org