Last updated on February 21st, 2017 at 01:56 pm
Vermont Creamery was one of eight Vermont food producers to win the Good Food Award for 2017. It won for its Bonne Bouche cheese.
The winners come from 36 states and 141 cities, having risen to the top among 2,095 entries in a blind taste test with 250 judges. Companies were also subjected to a rigorous vetting process to verify they met the sustainability and social responsibility criteria to win a Good Food Award.
According to the Good Food Foundation, “This year’s winners represent the forefront of American craft food and drink, making products that are delicious, respectful of the environment, and connected to communities and cultural traditions.”
Other Vermont companies winning awards were Big Picture Farm for its Farmstead Chocolate Covered Caramels; Farms for City Kids for its Reading cheese; Grafton Village Cheese for its Bear Hill cheese; Green Jam Man for its Honey Sage Pear Jam; Sumptuous Syrups of Vermont for its Farm to Bar Tart Cherry Rich Simple Syrup; Vermont Amber Organic Toffee for its Fennel Seed Toffee; and Fat Toad Farm for its Vanilla Bean Goat’s Milk Caramel Sauce.
Other Northeast winners were: Charcuterie—1732 Meats of Pennsylvania, Lamb Prosciutto; Hudson & Charles, New York, Chicken Liver Pate; Chocolate—Charm School Chocolate of Maryland, 70% Dark Belize; Fruition Chocolate of New York, Maranon Canyon Dark Milk 68% and Hudson Valley Bourbon Dark Milk 61%; Cider—Finger Lakes Cider House of New York, Good Life Barrel Rye; Orchard Hill Cider Mill of New York, Ten66 Pommeau; Slyboro Cider House of New York, La Sainte Terre; and Coffee—Bard Coffee of Maine, Ethiopia Hambela Estate; Giv Coffee Panama of Connecticut, Panama/Boquete/Kotowa Geisha Natural.
Other Northeast category winners: Fish—Boston Smoked Fish Co. of Massachusetts, Smoked Bluefish Pate; Regalis Foods of New York, Ikura Shoyu Zuke Caviar; Honey—Bees Needs of New York, Marvelous May; C&C Orchards of Massachusetts, Wildflower Honey; and Tewksbury Honey of Massachusetts, Spring Harvest: Pantry—Bronx Hot Sauce/Small Axe Peppers of New York, Bronx Hot Sauce; and The Kitchen Garden of Massachusetts, Kitchen Garden Farm Sriracha; Pickles—Hex Ferments of Maryland, Miso Kimchi; and Holy Schmitt’s of New York, Original Horseradish; Preserves—Doves & Figs of Massachusetts, Never Bee Blue Fruit and Honey Sauce; and Spirits—Nahmias et Fils of New York, Legs Diamond Rye Whiskey; and The Hudson Standard of New York, Catskill Masala Bitters.
“It’s a tremendous honor to be a Good Food Award recipient,” said Allison Hooper, co-founder of Vermont Creamery. “It is a true testament to our entire team’s commitment to transparency and innovation as we continue to grow our business and perfect our craft.”
The 2017 Good Food Awards winners were announced Jan. 20 at a gala awards ceremony at the historic Herbst Theater in San Francisco, California. From the 2,059 entries from nearly every state, 193 winners passed rigorous vetting to confirm they met specific Good Food Awards standards around sound agricultural practices, sourcing transparency and good animal husbandry.
Introduced in 2001, Bonne Bouche is made with fresh pasteurized goats’ milk from family farms. The curd is carefully hand ladled, lightly sprinkled with ash and aged just long enough to develop a rind. After about 10 days, the cheeses are packaged in their crates and sent to market where they continue to age up to 80 days.
Other 2017 Good Food Award winners from Vermont are Big Picture Farm won for its Farmstead Chocolate Covered Caramels; Spring Brook Farm for its Reading cheese; Grafton Village Cheese for its Bear Hill cheese; Green Jam Man for its Honey Sage Pear Jam; Sumptuous Syrups of Vermont for its Sumptuous Farm to Bar Tart Cherry Rich Simple Syrup; Vermont Amber Organic Toffee for its Fennel Seed Toffee; and Fat Toad Farm for its Vanilla Bean Goats’ Milk Caramel Sauce.
