NC food makers just collected a stack of top awards. Get a taste of the winners.

Drew Jackson

Some of the tastiest bites in the Triangle are getting a moment in the national food spotlight.

The annual Good Food Awards, which celebrate the country’s best craft and gourmet products from small makers, recently recognized more than a dozen North Carolina treats. The awards honor food companies that operate sustainably, cultivate fair and safe work environments and create top products in their categories.

From thousands of submissions, The Good Food Foundation combs through the foodiest and most delicious gourmet food products, doling out less than 200 national awards. The awards ceremony was held last month in Portland, Oregon.

Overall, North Carolina took home 17 awards, including 10 from seven different Triangle brands.

North Carolina has been a major winner of Good Food Awards since the began in 2011, recognizing brands like Counter Culture Coffee.

This year’s winners include James Beard-winning restaurants, top breweries and tiny homemade jams.

Here are the 2023 winners in the Carolinas:

The Triangle

  • Big Spoon Roasters in Hillsborough won for its Pistachio Crunch Almond Butter. Big Spoon has been popular in the Triangle for years and this is the brand’s first Good Food Award.

  • Boxcarr Handmade Cheese in Cedar Grove won two awards for its Cottonbloom and Doeling cheeses.

  • The Spicy Hermit in Durham won for its Sweet Onion Kimchi. This is the brand’s third award.

  • Fullsteam brewery in Durham was recognized for its One Hefeweizen beer. The brand has won numerous Good Food Awards, going toe-to-toe with some of the country’s most respected breweries, including three awards in 2018.

  • Chocolatay Confections in Chapel Hill won for its Strawberry Sunflower Bonbon.

  • Boro Beverage Co. in Chapel Hill won for its Pollinator Punch, a kombucha made with bluberries and lavender.

  • Mrs. Ruth’s Jams in Apex won for Blueberry Lemon Basil jam.

  • Videri Chocolate Factory in Raleigh won two awards, for its 75% Guatemala Single Origin Dark Chocolate Bar and its Blackberry Basil Caramel.

Elsewhere in North Carolina

  • Buchi Kombucha in Marshall won for its Buchi Legacy Kombucha.

  • Curate and Katie Button Restaurants in Asheville won for its Curate Sobrasada, a Spanish-style cured sausage.

  • French Broad Chocolates in Asheville won for its Rose Cardamom Pistachio bonbon.

  • Killer Bees Honey in Lake Toxaway won for its Sourwood Honey.

  • Old North Shrub out of Shelby won for its non-alcoholic State Grape Shrub, a drinking vinegar made with muscadine grape juice.

  • Sun Raise Foods in Cornelius won for its Finocchiona Lamb Salami.

  • Sweet Elderberry in Charlotte won for its Sweet’s Syrup, an elderberry syrup.

South Carolina

  • Holmes Sweet Home in Simpsonville, SC won for its Sweet Cream Caramel Sauce.

  • Marsh Hen Mill from Edisto Island, SC outside of Charleston won for its Guinea Flint Grits.

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