WEBSTERVILLE, Vt. – May 6, 2021 – Vermont Creamery, known for its consciously created line of fresh and aged goat cheeses, cultured butter, and culinary creams, today announced it was awarded the coveted Gold sofi™ Award by the Specialty Food Association in the “Other Dairy Category” for its Sea Salt Cultured Butter, bringing its total awards for products to 20 in six years.
This is the second victory for Vermont Creamery’s Sea Salt Cultured Butter (last year winning Silver) and the first Gold. This prestigious award, determined by a blind tasting of products from premier specialty food producers around the world, showcases the reason why the product is quickly earning a spot on shelves across the country and driving 286% growth year over year. The Vermont Creamery team is dedicated to “taste above all,” crafting this higher fat cultured butter in central Vermont with fresh cream, sea salt, and live bacterial cultures. The butter is slowly cultured and churned, delivering notes of buttermilk and hazelnut, resulting in a creamy, consistent texture and premium taste.
“We are truly grateful to be acknowledged again by our industry colleagues at the Specialty Food Association,” said Adeline Druart, president of Vermont Creamery. “Our mission is to produce a superior suite of products. This award is well-deserved recognition for the dedicated ‘Bettermakers’ who work tirelessly every day, creating best in class products for consumers nationwide.”
Containing 82% butterfat, Vermont Creamery’s Sea Salt Cultured Butter aligns with the growing trend of consuming higher fat. The global ketogenic diet market, known colloquially as “keto,” is currently estimated at over $10B and is expected to continue to grow at a rate of 5.5% over the next six years. Also underpinning this trend is the growth of baking in the U.S., with the market increasing 24% year over year, with many seeking higher fat butters to create a richer end product, such as a flakier pie crust or a finer cake crumb.
Honoring the best in specialty foods for over 48 years, the sofi Award winners are determined by a panel of food experts. Judging spans taste, flavor, texture, aroma and appearance, as well as ingredient quality and innovation. Vermont Creamery was one of 127 winners selected out of 1,500 entries.
The sofi Awards are open to members of the Specialty Food Association, a not-for-profit trade association with specialty food industry members across the U.S. The awards have been given each year since 1972.
Building upon this honor, Vermont Creamery is celebrating its sixth year as a Certified B Corporation, continuing its path towards conscious growth. This certification is at the helm of its business philosophy, earning nationwide respect, alongside their award-winning products. Living by the philosophy of “dairy that tastes better because it’s made better,” Vermont Creamery continues to win brand loyalty and trust.
For the complete list of the winners, visit https://www.specialtyfood.com/
###
About the Specialty Food Association
Founded in 1952 in New York City, the Specialty Food Association (SFA) is the leading advocate for the $158.4 billion specialty food industry. Representing makers, importers, entrepreneurs, retailers, distributors, and others in the trade, the SFA aims to champion, nurture and connect its members to deliver traditional and innovative new products to consumers that expand consumption of specialty foods.
With over 4,000 member companies, the Association helps its members through providing information, research, educational events, and celebrating the industry through its awards programs. The SFA is known for hosting the Winter and Summer Fancy Food Shows and presents the sofi™ Awards honoring excellence in specialty food. Learn more at www.specialtyfood.com
About Vermont Creamery
Consciously crafted in Vermont’s green mountains, Vermont Creamery’s line of fresh and aged goat cheeses, cultured butter, and culinary creams have won hundreds of national and international awards. In their 36th year of business, Vermont Creamery supports a network of family farms, promoting sustainable agriculture in the region. B Corp Certified in 2014, Vermont Creamery is part of a community of businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability. Vermont Creamery is an independently operated subsidiary of
Minnesota-based Land ‘O Lakes, Inc., one of the nation’s largest farmer-owned cooperatives. For more information, visit www.vermontcreamery.com.