The Specialty Food Association's Lifetime Achievement Awards celebrate individuals who are widely recognized as having grown the industry, improved the Association, inspired companies, and nurtured individuals over long careers in specialty food. Unlike SFA’s Leadership and Hall of Fame Awards, Lifetime Achievement honorees are not nominated but rather selected by the SFA Recognition Council from past SFA Hall of Fame inductees. 

From the trio who founded Dean & Deluca(Opens in a new window) to the specialty tea evangelists behind Bigelow Tea(Opens in a new window) and many other pioneers, SFA’s Lifetime Achievement Award winners have all had a hand in making specialty food into the booming business it is today. 



Meet the Winners

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  • 2025 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Annie Chun and Stephen Broad

    Annie Chun’s, Inc. / gimme Health Foods, Inc.
    2025
    Full Profile
  • 2025 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Ari Weinzweig

    Zingerman’s Delicatessen
    2025
    Full Profile
  • 2025 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Doug Renfro and Becky Renfro Borbolla

    Renfro Foods, Inc.
    2025
    Full Profile
  • 2025 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    James Stott and Jonathon King

    Stonewall Kitchen
    2025
    Full Profile
  • 2025 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Pamela Barefoot

    Blue Crab Bay Co.
    2025
    Full Profile
  • 2024 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Allison Hooper and Bob Reese

    Vermont Creamery
    2024
    Full Profile
  • 2024 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Dennis Deschaine

    Al Dente Pasta Company
    2024
    Full Profile
  • 2024 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    George Gellert

    Atalanta Corp.
    2024
    Full Profile
  • 2024 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Michael Barefoot and Tim Manale

    A Southern Season
    2024
    Full Profile
  • 2024 Lifetime Achievement award winner

    Paula Lambert

    Mozzarella Company
    2024
    Full Profile