Judges have chosen four Cobb County products as finalists in UGA’s 2019 Flavor of Georgia Food Product Contest.
Representatives will showcase their products at the final round of Flavor of Georgia judging at the Georgia Railroad Freight Depot in Atlanta March 19 along products from across the state.
For more than a decade the contest has served as the state’s premier testing ground for both small, upstart food companies and time-tested products.
The Cobb County products represented in this year’s contest include:
- Smyrna’s Chinese Southern Belle’s Wild Wild East Asian BBQ Teriyaki Pineapple in the Barbecue Sauce Category
- Marietta’s Cacao Affair’s Macarons in the Confections Category
- Kennesaw’s Pie Provisions’ Georgia Blueberry Pie Filling in the Confections Category
- Powder Spring’s Suga’s Enterprises LLC’s Smoked Gouda Pimento Cheese in the Dairy Category
These products passed the first round of judging and were selected from a field of 138 products in 11 categories.
All finalists will bring their products to Atlanta for the final round of judging, which will be held in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Awareness Week celebration March 18-22.
“Once again the level of innovation and talent represented in our contest has left us amazed and excited for things to come,” said Sharon P. Kane, contest coordinator and economist with the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ (CAES) Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development.
“Georgia is home to some of the most creative minds in the food business, and the Flavor of Georgia contest is our yearly reminder of lucky we are to live in a state that values entrepreneurship and good food.”
A food business development specialist, Kane, and her center colleagues have organized the annual contest since 2007.
Judges for the final round of the contest will include food brokers, grocery buyers, and other food industry experts. They evaluate entries by category based on their Georgia theme, commercial appeal, taste, innovation and market potential. Contestants will provide samples to judges and pitch their products in a “Shark Tank”-style presentation. Finalists will be named in each category, and a grand prize winner and People’s Choice Award winner will be named.
A full list of all finalists can be found at flavorofgeorgia.
The Flavor of Georgia Food Product Contest is organized by the UGA CAES Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development with support from the Georgia Department of Agriculture and Georgia Grown, Gourmet Foods International, the Georgia Agribusiness Council, Nadine’s Classic Cuisine and Georgia CEO.
More information about the contest is available at www.flavorofga.com and by following the contest on Twitter @FlavorofGA or on Instagram at flavorofga.
