Three Surrey-area businesses were given BC Food and Beverage Awards during an online celebration Thursday evening (Sept. 24).
KB Honey was inducted as the Hall of Fame business, Surrey-made Hardbite Chips won the Export category award and Connie Marples was named Rising Star for her Boosh Food enterprise.
Thirteen awards were announced during an annual event organized to celebrate the best of B.C.’s food, beverage and natural health product industry.
Kidd Bros Honey (KB Honey) was launched in the Kitsilano area of Vancouver in 1884, and has been family-owned ever since. Considered Canada’s oldest honey brand, KB relocated to Burnaby in 1964 before another move in 2012 to Cloverdale, on Landmark Way, “where the brand flourished, gaining international recognition,” according to a bio. “The KB Brand has been built off integrity, quality, sustainability and clean practices – policies we proudly follow to this day.”
Hardbite Chips are made in Surrey by Naturally Homegrown Foods Ltd., at 4945 184th St.
“We started out in British Columbia handcrafting all-natural chips we thought were just as tasty as the big brands without any artificial flavours or preservatives,” says a bio posted to hardbitechips.com. “We experimented with cooking them just enough to create a satisfying crunch and then went the extra mile to get the taste and flavour profiles just right. Our company has grown and so have our product lines.”
Rising Star award-winner Marples is “on a plant-based comfort food mission” with Boosh products.
“Plant-based diets might be better for the planet but finding fast and convenient meals can be challenging. Until now,” says a post at booshfood.com. “Boosh has developed eight 100% plant-based, heat-and-serve bowls for one and entrees for two.”
(Story continues below video of the 90-minute awards show)
The other winners of BC Food and Beverage Awards are Sooke-based Sheringham Distillery (Product of the year Gold, for its Seaside Gin), South Vancouver-made Zesty Cheeze Crackers by Free Yumm (Product of the year Silver), Nut-Free Tigernut Butter by Farafena (Product of the year Bronze), Prince Rupert-based Coastal Shellfish (Sustainability category), Abbotsford’s Vitalus Nutrition (People First category), Sidney-based Cascadia Seaweed (Innovation), Burnaby’s Hippie Snacks (Best in Brand), Christine Coletta of Okanagan Crush Pad (Leadership), Burnaby’s Mogiana Coffee (Member of the Year: Processor) and Richmond’s Glenmore Printers (Member of the Year: Associate),
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