CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 03/22/17

Georgia Grinders Pecan Butter takes top prize at UGA's 2017 Flavor of Georgia Contest

By Merritt Melancon

 Jaime and Harry Foster, owners of Georgia Grinders Nut Butters, walked away with the grand prize from the University of Georgia’s 2017 Flavor of Georgia Contest for their Georgia Grinders Pecan Butter.

The annual contest, conducted by the UGA Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development, is a chance for food businesses to showcase their new products.

A team of food industry experts and grocery buyers chose Georgia Grinders Pecan Butter as the best of 33 finalists. They rated the products on qualities including innovation, use of Georgia theme, market potential and flavor.

In addition to the grand prize, Georgia Grinders also won first place in the Miscellaneous Products category.

Governor Nathan Deal, Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black and UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Dean and Director Sam Pardue congratulated the category and grand prize winners at UGA’s Flavor of Georgia Food Product Contest’s grand finale at the Georgia Freight Depot in Atlanta.

“We had 117 products submitted this year and some of the toughest competition we’ve seen in the contest’s 11-year history. These 33 products represented are truly the best of the best,” said Sharon P. Kane, Flavor of Georgia contest coordinator. “The legacy of excellence and camaraderie that our Flavor of Georgia finalists and winners have achieved continues to be remarkable.”

For more information about Georgia Grinders Pecan Butter, visit www.naturalmond.com.

The winners are listed below by prize name, product name, company name, company representatives and town.

  • Grand Prize Winner: Georgia Grinders Pecan Butter, Georgia Grinders Premium Nut Butters, Chamblee
  • People's Choice Award: Carroll’s Vidalia Onion and Cheese Smoked Sausage, Carroll’s Sausage & Meats Inc., Ashburn
  • Barbecue Sauces: Wicked Que Georgia Vinegar Sauce, Neptune Industries Inc., Watkinsville
  • Beverages: Worryfree Tea, Biron Herbal Teas, Macon
  • Condiments and Sauces: Midland Ghost White Pepper Sauce, 4Saucerers, Columbus
  • Confections: Chocolate Covered Fried Peanut Cluster, West Foods Inc., Edison
  • Dairy or Related Products: Revolution Gelato Chocolate Fantasy, Revolution Gelato LLC, Atlanta
  • Honey and Related: Honey Pecan Crunch, Hahira Honey House, Stockton
  • Jams and Jellies: Satsuma Orange Pepper Marmalade, Fairywood Thicket Farm, Fairburn
  • Meat and Seafood: Carroll’s Vidalia Onion and Cheese Smoked Sausage, Carroll’s Sausage & Meats Inc., Ashburn
  • Miscellaneous: Georgia Grinders Pecan Butter, Georgia Grinders Premium Nut Butters, Chamblee
  • Sauces and Seasonings: Campfire Salt, Beautiful Briny Sea, Atlanta
  • Snack Foods: Toasted Sriracha Pecans, Goodson Pecans LLC, Leesburg

Showcase events like the 2017 Flavor of Georgia competition help entrepreneurs spread the word about their products. Many participants have landed spots in regional and national grocery chains like Whole Foods, Ingles, Fresh Market, Earth Fare, Kroger and Harvey’s.

Category winners received an award and membership in the state Department of Agriculture’s Georgia Grown program, statewide notoriety and bragging rights. All winners and finalists earn the right to have their products stamped with the 2016 Flavor of Georgia logo. They also gain exposure to grocery buyers and food industry professionals who judge the final round of the contest.

The Flavor of Georgia food product contest is sponsored by the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development in partnership with Gourmet Foods International, Georgia Center of Innovation for Agribusiness, the Office of the Governor, Walton EMC, the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Agribusiness Council.

More information about this year’s contest can be found at flavorofga.com or by following @FlavorofGA on Twitter. For photos of the event, visit www.flickr.com/photos/ugacommunications.

Authors:
Merritt Melancon
Experts/Sources:
Sharon P Kane
Governor Nathan Deal, from left, congratulates Harry and Jaime Foster and Travis Cole, of Georgia Grinders, who are accompanied by Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black and College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Dean and Director Sam Pardue. Georgia Grinder's Premium Nut Butters' Pecan Butter won the grand prize at the University of Georgia's Flavor of Georgia Food Product Contest.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
UGA wheat breeder and geneticist Mohamed Mergoum smells one of several test brews created by Creature Comforts on its annual Get Comfortable collaboration using a variety of wheat Mergoum developed at CAES. CAES News
Creature Comforts partners with UGA wheat breeder to create 2024 Get Comfortable brew 04/09/24 Maria M. Lameiras
Wheat breeders spend years meticulously crossing varieties to coax the best traits out of each species, carefully propagating plant varieties that are healthier, heartier and better suited for the environments where they are grown. Brewmasters are equally painstaking when choosing the components that will give their beers a specific flavor profile. These two exacting professions came together this spring when Athens-based Creature Comforts Brewing Co. reached out to the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences to find a sustainable wheat variety they could use to make a good beer for a great cause.
(L to R) New Creation Soda Works Founder and CEO Paul Kooistra, Head Brewer Alex Harding, CAES Dean and Director Nick Place. (Photo by Dennis McDaniel) CAES News
Flavor of Georgia grand prize goes to New Creation Soda Works 04/05/24 Jordan Powers
New Creation Soda Works won the grand prize at the 2024 Flavor of Georgia food contest for their product, PECHES Georgia Peach Soda. A family-owned company based in Bishop, Georgia, New Creation Soda Works started selling their soda syrups at a local farmer’s market in 2015. Today, their product line — comprised of sodas with flavors including strawberry habanero, butter pecan cream soda and the old-time root beer that inspired the company — sells in more than 700 locations nationwide.
UGA College of Engineering students Garrett Stigall and Guy Gober won the 2024 FABricate entrepreneurial contest with their company, Pool Protection Technologies, and its high-quality Sound Amplifying Machine (SAM) that treats algae growth in pools. Photo by Sean Montgomery. CAES News
Pool Protection Technologies founders make big splash in 2024 FABricate pitch contest 03/28/24 Sean Montgomery
Another successful cycle of the University of Georgia’s FABricate Entrepreneurial Initiative wrapped up Tuesday night at the Delta Innovation Hub, with a sustainable pool-maintenance solution winning the $10,000 grand prize. Pool Protection Technologies, founded by UGA College of Engineering students Garrett Stigall and Guy Gober, highlighted its high-quality sound amplifying machine (SAM) that treats algae growth in pools.
A mug of UGArden's chamomile tea. CAES News
UGArden herbal tea program launches sales in campus dining halls 03/21/24 Jordan Powers
The door to UGArden’s herb drying room leads to an olfactory explosion — sharp peppermint, earthy tulsi, sweet calendula and floral chamomile mix into an herbal perfume that would undoubtedly have tea drinkers reaching for their kettles. Now University of Georgia students will be able to get a taste of UGArden’s chamomile tea, along with a selection of the student community farm’s other herbal teas, with their campus meals as the UGArden medicinal herb program expands into UGA dining halls this spring.
CIT Program CAES March 2024 Sean Montgomery 2 CAES News
CAES launches Career Impact Training Program to increase student, industry success 03/19/24 Sean Montgomery
The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences has launched the specialized Career Impact Training Program (CIT) as part of its ongoing mission to empower students to excel in professional environments. Led by Chris Rhodes, CAES director of industry partnerships, CIT is a comprehensive training program that helps graduates develop the essential qualities they need to be successful in the private sector.
FoodPICdirectorJimGratzek CAES News
UGA FoodPIC empowers food startups for successful launch and growth 02/12/24 Emily Cabrera
Jim Gratzek, director of the University of Georgia’s Food Product Innovation and Commercialization Center, earned his doctorate in food process engineering from UGA’s Department of Food Science and Technology. He returned to the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in 2022 after nearly 30 years in the commercial food industry, bringing a new perspective. In his experience, the biggest hurdle for new food entrepreneurs who don’t yet have sufficient working capital or manufacturing facilities is moving a product from concept to consumer.