2008 PRESS RELEASES
May 27, 2008
BEST NEW PRODUCTS NAMED AT VIRGINIA FOOD AND BEVERAGE EXPO
Contact: Marion Horsley, 804.225.3820
The Best New Product Winners Chosen at the Virginia Food and Beverage Expo -- Judges of the Best New Product competition at the Virginia Food and Beverage Expo chose 4 winners from the record 46 entries: (left to right) Jim Appleby of Ewing, Virginia won the overall Best New Product award for the hot version of his Road Kill B-B-Q Sauce; Mary Schellhammer of Spice Rack Chocolates in Fredericksburg tied for the Best New Food Product award with her grapefruit/lavender flavored chocolates; Duane Thompson of Sabrosa Foods, Inc. of Hampton, Virginia, tied for Best New Food Product with his Sabrosa Medium Roasted Bell Pepper Gourmet Salsa; and Mary Clark of BIOFREE-USA Corp in Glen Allen, Virginia won the Best New Beverage Product with FIZZA Sparkling Dairy Beverage. The Expo, a food industry-only trade show held May 14, 2008, was sponsored by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Along with a record number of entries, this year’s Best New Product competition at the Virginia Food and Beverage Expo also had a record number of winners. The Expo, a Virginia-only food industry trade show sponsored by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, took place on May 14, 2008 in Richmond. The competition boasted four winners instead of the usual three. Thanks to a tie, there were two Best New Food award winners in addition to winners for the Best New Beverage and Best New Product overall. The field of 46 competition participants represented a 30 percent increase in the number of entries over the previous high total of 35 at the 2002 Expo.
According to Jim Appleby, creator of the Best New Product, his Road Kill B-B-Q Sauce™ “Makes Raccoon Taste Almost as Good as Possum.” For years he had heard from friends who enjoyed his spicy sauce that he ought to bottle it and sell it. Five years ago, he did just that. Wife Lois reveals the secret of success, “With this sauce, first comes the flavor, then you feel the heat.” It took a leap of faith but the Applebys hit the jackpot when they decided to travel nearly 400 miles across the state from their home in Ewing to exhibit at their first trade show and enter the hot version of the sauce in the Expo competition.
Two innovative products tied for the Expo’s Best New Food award. Sabrosa Foods’ Medium Roasted Bell Pepper Gourmet Salsa is the invention of Duane Thompson who used a different approach to give his recipe a unique flavor. “I was shocked but not surprised” with his win, says Thompson, whose company is located in Hampton, Virginia. “I think the judges were expecting a tomato-based salsa and my roasted bell pepper base gives a totally different flavor.”
Spice Rack Chocolates in grapefruit/lavender flavor was also named Best New Food. Creator Mary Schellhammer blends herbs, spices and other flavorings to infuse solid, 54% cacao dark chocolates with award-winning results. Each piece is hand-molded and hand-painted with colored cocoa butter. “There are no cream centers to dilute the impact,” says Schelhammer. “I let the chocolates speak for themselves.”
The Best New Beverage award went to BIOFREE-USA Corp’s FIZZA™ Sparkling Dairy Nutrient Beverage in Orange Effect flavor. Says Mary Ann Clark of BIOFREE-USA, “This is the first product that can give kids the opportunity to enjoy all the fun and excitement of soda and yet have all the nutrition of milk.” The FIZZA motto is “Have a Cow instead of a Cola!”
A panel of three judges evaluated the Best New Product competition entries on originality, taste/aroma, creative packaging, visual appeal and presentation. Find additional information about the winners at www.roadkillbbqsauce.com, www.sabrosafoods.com and www.spicerackchocolates.com. Contact BIOFREE-USA Corp at info@biofreeusa.com. Learn more about the Expo at www.vaexpo.com.
###
Editors, please note: Click here for a list of all Best New Product competition entries.