Release Date: August 26, 2019
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Media Contacts: Rick Hummell, 608-224-5041 richard.hummell@wi.gov
EDITOR'S NOTE: The names of two companies which won awards at the Grand Champion Eats & Treats competition were inadvertently omitted from the initial version of this press release. This corrected release includes the names of all winners.
MADISON – Member companies in the popular Something Special from Wisconsin™ (SSfW) program won 26 of 42 possible awards at the 2019 Wisconsin State Fair Grand Champion Eats & Treats competition, proving they are indeed “something special."
This year marked the sixth year for the contest. Open to Wisconsin small professional food businesses with yearly sales under $500,000, the Eats & Treats competition is suited for small- to mid-size players in the food processing industry.
Judging took place in 13 categories: pickles and pickled vegetables; relishes, mustard and dressing; milled grains; barbecue sauces, hot sauces, oils and vinegars; fruits and vegetables; sweets: bakery, candy, cookies, caramels; herb-infused dry mixes; fermented products; snack foods; beverages (non-alcoholic, coffee, tea, soda, etc.); Best Booth Display; Best Something Special from Wisconsin entry; and Best of Show.
SSfW member companies took six 1st place awards; six 2nds; seven 3rds; and five 4ths. Additionally, Garden of Eden Kingdom Living of Milwaukee won Best Booth Display, and Waukesha-based Pop's Kettle Corn took Best of Something Special from Wisconsin, a category open only to SSfW members.
The 26 awards were won collectively by the following SSfW companies: Always and Forever Design, Fond du Lac; Garden of Eden Kingdom Living, Milwaukee; Dashelito's Hot Sauces, Madison; Beepa's, Beloit; Sweet P's Pantry, Oconomowoc; Pop's Kettle Corn, Waukesha; Wisconsin Hickory Products, Princeton; Pleasant's Best Sauces, Minocqua; CJ's Premium Spices LLC, Oconomowoc; Love Booth Kombucha, Waterford; Julie's Country Confections, Kewaskum; Happy Hunter Farms, Gays Mills; and Ringhand's Beer Mustard, Evansville.
Founded in 1983, Something Special from Wisconsin is a trademarked marketing program administered by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). The easily-recognizable red, white and yellow SSfW logo helps member companies stand out by providing a quick and reliable way to identify genuine Wisconsin products and services at grocery stores, retail outlets, farmers' markets and restaurants. Any Wisconsin business, no matter how big or small, can apply to use the logo if at least 50 percent of the value of the product or service is attributable to Wisconsin ingredients, production or processing. The program has nearly 500 members.
"We are extremely pleased with the success of our member companies at the Grand Champion Eats and Treats Competition," said Lois Federman, SSfW director. "The SSfW logo brings instant recognition and credibility, and the results of the competition are testament to the fact that SSfW companies are producing products of truly the highest quality and desirability."
For more information, contact Federman at 608-224-5124 or lois.federman@wisconsin.gov. For more information about the Something Special from Wisconsin program, go to https://somethingspecialwi.com
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