Las Vegas, NV (January 25, 2024) Todo Verde and its plant-forward, true-to-culture flavors triumphed at the Specialty Food Association’s Fancy Face-Off Pitch Competition on January 22nd at the 48th Winter Fancy Food Show in Las Vegas. The event was hosted by Al Mancini, a mainstay of the Las Vegas culinary scene.
Four finalists were picked from hundreds of entries to pitch their products to specialty food and culinary professionals at the event.
“Congratulations to Jocelyn Ramirez of Todo Verde for her win, and to all the Fancy Face-Off finalists for their inspiring pitches at the Winter Fancy Food Show,” said Bill Lynch, president of the SFA. “These brilliant entrepreneurs remind us that the food world is continuously evolving, driven forward by passion and creativity. I’m incredibly proud to count all four finalists as SFA members, and to see the Fancy Food Show promise come to life as the place where innovation meets opportunity.”
“I watched the matriarch of my family cook with grace, love, passion, and flavor,” said Ramirez. “She instilled in me a deep passion for food. Todo Verde is what I bring to the table.”
In addition to hearing live pitches, judges sampled each product, and assigned scores for innovation, ingredient quality, market potential, pitch, and taste. The judging panel included:
• Chef Gary FX La Morte, founder, Honest Hospitality
• Cathy Strange, Ambassador of Food Culture, Whole Foods
• V. Sheree Williams, publisher, Cuisine Noir, and founder, Global Food and Drink Initiative
Todo Verde received a promotional prize package from the Specialty Food Association, including an ad in Specialty Food Magazine, coverage across the Association’s social media platform, and a $10,000 check to help build their business.
About the Specialty Food Association
The Specialty Food Association (SFA) was founded in 1952 and is the not-for-profit trade association of the $194 billion specialty food industry. Representing more than 3,000 businesses worldwide, SFA champions industry participation and success for a diverse community of makers, buyers, importers, distributors, and service providers by developing resources, information, education, and events that celebrate innovation and inclusivity. SFA owns and operates the Fancy Food Shows—which are the largest specialty food industry events in North America—as well as the sofi™ Awards—which have honored excellence in specialty food and beverage annually since 1972. The SFA also produces the e-newsletter SFA News Daily, the Trendspotter Panel annual predictions and Fancy Food Show reports, the State of the Specialty Food Industry Report, Today's Specialty Food Consumer research, and the Spill & Dish podcast. Find out more online and connect with SFA on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.