Wakefern Food Corp. has selected three food companies as the winners of its Own Brands Supplier Diversity Summit, which took place earlier this year.
The winners, all of which are members of the Specialty Food Association, are:
• Thai Culinary Arts Studio, a women-owned small business based in Yarmouth, Maine, that produces Thai sauces both as branded specialty foods and private label products. Founded by Watcharee Limanon, an award-winning Thai culinary artist from Bangkok, Thai Culinary Arts Studio manufactures high quality gluten free, non-GMO and vegan products that reflect Thai culinary traditions.
• Holic Foods, another women-owned organization, which was founded by Frances and Tonio Torres in 2013 to meet the emerging demand for clean-label, bold-flavor, globally inspired sauces, dips and condiments. It is based in Middletown, Indiana.
• Cafe Spice, a minority-owned food manufacturer rooted in Indian culture and based in New Windsor, New York. The company prepares authentic global cuisine for retail grab-and-go, foodservice, and private labels. The Cafe Spice brand collection of restaurant-quality frozen meals includes chicken, vegetarian, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free options, all fully cooked and ready to heat-and-eat.
“The winners of this year’s Own Brands Supplier Diversity Summit align with our core values of integrity, innovation and teamwork,” said Bryant Harris, chief merchandising officer at Wakefern. “We are excited to build on the success of last year’s Own Brands Supplier Summit with this second annual supplier event focused on finding diverse private label manufacturers.”
The cooperative wholesaler, whose members operate the ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Fairway Market, and other banners in the Northeast, had announced the Own Brands Supplier Diversity Summit in January as an opportunity for diverse private label manufacturers to present new and trending products for potential inclusion in Wakefern’s Bowl & Basket and Wholesome Pantry store brands portfolio. Makers were invited to introduce their products through RangeMe. The competition did not include nonfood items, supplemental and nutritional products, and baby food.
The competition was open to certified minority-, LGBTQ+-, women-, veteran- and disability-owned private label manufacturers. Wakefern reviewed more than 50 applications from suppliers representing more than 300 products, then invited finalists to pitch their products in person. Richard Giacalone, chef at Wakefern, and the company’s own brands quality assurance team helped prepare the tastings for a test panel made up of Wakefern members and executives.
The winners’ products are expected to appear on store shelves under the Bowl & Basket and Wholesome Pantry lines in 2024.
Wakefern launched the first iteration of the event in 2022 as the Own Brands Supplier Innovation Summit, before pivoting to focus on diverse suppliers this year. The 2022 winners were Delica North America in the candy category, Prana Gourmet Foods in the prepared foods category, GlutenLibre in frozen appetizers, and The Perfect Bite Company in frozen entrees.
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