This last weekend, the Good Food Awards celebrated the nation's best producers that produced authentic, organic, responsibly-produced products. The seven categories of food that were honored this year were beer, coffee, cheese, charcuterie, chocolate, pickles and preserves. The winners had a great variety of tastes from all across the country--ranging from an Organic Gingerbread Ale from Bison Brewery in Berkeley, CA to Savory Brussels Sprout Relish from Ann's Raspberry Farm in Fredericktown, OH.
On Friday, a private ceremony for all the winners was hosted on the upper floor of the ferry building. The space was transformed with an old-time American farmer feel--with wood crates, a large American flag and red, white and blue bunting. Alice Waters hosted the celebration where all the winners were recognized. Afterwards, there was a reception on the main floor of the Ferry Building where all the attendees were given samples of all the winners products. Most called it an early night, as they had to prepare themselves for an 8 AM marketplace on Saturday.
On Saturday, all the producers arrived by 7 AM to prepare their products for the marketplace, which was held outside the Ferry Building alongside the normal Saturday Farmer's Market. I was put in charge of the Pickle producers (one of the quirkier groups), making sure that everyone had what they needed. The winning products in this category were quite diverse, including Spicy Oregano Purple Carrots from Cultured in Berkley, CA to Purple Sauerkraut from Spirit Creek Farm in Bayfield, WI. I think that my favorite pickle product was McClure's Brine produced by McClure's Pickles in Detroit, MI. This brine is a popular drink that is used for mixed drinks, including Bloody Mary's and other pickled cocktails. It can also be drank straight, and I overhead one customer rave to his friends that it was "the new Kombucha".
The most amazing part to me, was that the entire event was driven and organized by a few unpaid interns that worked passionately and tirelessly in the months leading up to the event. My twin brother, Gavin, was in charge of contact with all the producers and nailing down the nuts and bolts of the event. So much so, that I became a mini-celebrity at the event. I can't tell you how many producers came up to me with a huge grin, thinking that they were finally meeting Gavin, who they had been in constant contact with in the months leading up to the event. They were soon disappointed that I was his less curly twin brother, but they had nothing but amazing things to say about how well the event was run, and how well they were treated by all that worked on it. Overall, it was a fantastically run event filled with great food and very interesting, environmentally conscious producers that truly represent the vision of sustainably produced food.
Reporting From 18 Rabbits, Christian
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