Specialty Food Association Award Known as “Oscars of Specialty Food”
LANDING, NEW JERSEY – May 21, 2024 – Bono, Sicily’s largest extra virgin olive oil producer, has won the Gold Award in the Pickles & Olives category as part of the Specialty Food Association’s (SFA) 2024 sofi™ Awards, a top honor in the $207-billion specialty food industry. Bono’s Sicilian Castelvetrano Pitted Green Olives won the prestigious award, a recognition considered to be the equivalent of the Oscars in the specialty foods world.
“We are thrilled to have received a Gold Award for our Castelvetrano olives, making this Bono’s fourth sofi win,” said President and CEO of Bono USA, Salvatore Russo-Tiesi. “As a family-run business, our whole team takes pride in providing the highest quality, authentic products – from our extra virgin olive oil to the olives themselves – and we are honored to be recognized among so many coveted brands with this ultimate stamp of approval.”
Bono’s Castelvetrano olives were selected by specialty food experts, buyers, and media based on taste – including flavor, appearance, texture, and aroma – ingredient quality and innovation. All tastings were anonymous and held at the Rutgers Food Innovation Center.
The family-owned company, which is focused on sustainability, will showcase its award-winning Castelvetrano olives at the Summer Fancy Food Show from June 23-25 at Booth #2669 at the Javits Center in New York.
“sofi Gold Award winners have accomplished something really extraordinary – they’ve risen to the top of incredibly competitive categories,” said SFA President Bill Lynch. “Those that earn top marks from our judges are the best of the best.”
Bono’s Nocellara del Belice olives, known in the U.S. as Castelvetrano olives, are cultivated exclusively in their native environment in and around the town of Castelvetrano in western Sicily. The all-natural green olives, with no chlorophyll added, are pleasantly tannic with a buttery-sweet flavor and crisp, firm texture.
“Castelvetrano olives continue to grow in popularity across the U.S., so it is exciting to be at the forefront of this trend,” added Russo-Tiesi.
Bono’s Sicilian Castelvetrano Pitted Green Olives and the full range of products are available at select supermarkets – such as Stop & Shop, ShopRite, The Fresh Market, The Giant Company, and more – specialty stores, and Amazon. To find stores, visit its store locator.
The sofi Awards are open to members of the SFA and have been given each year since 1972. Winners will be showcased at the 2024 Summer Fancy Food Show and celebrated at the first-ever sofi Awards Gala on June 24. Open only to the trade, the Summer Fancy Food Show is specialty food’s premier product discovery event. For more information, visit specialtyfood.com.
About Bono
Established in 1934, Bono is Sicily’s largest producer of authentic extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). The family-owned company is based in Sciacca – located in the Val Di Mazara – a region coveted for its terroir and considered one of the best in the world to produce high-quality EVOO. Bono also owns multiple facilities across Sicily and Italy, with its U.S. division and distribution center based in Landing, NJ.
Bono’s core mission is to focus on regionality, sustainability and innovation through certifications for all its products. Our award-winning EVOOs come with six different certifications: PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) or PGI (Protected Geographical Indication), USDA Organic, Clean Label Project, OU Kosher, Gluten Free and NON-GMO. Bono’s PDO and PGI EVOOs receive their own unique serial numbers, which are traceable to the exact farm and olives used, ensuring full production transparency. The company’s collection of fine Italian products also includes a full line of Sicilian and Italian Table Olives, Tuscan-Crafted Pasta Sauces, Sicilian Marmalade, and Calabrese Peppers. All Bono products originate from a particular region with the belief that what grows together, goes together. We believe in taking what is best from each region and portraying this in our award-winning line of products.
Connect with Bono USA on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
About the Specialty Food Association
The Specialty Food Association (SFA) was founded in 1952 and is the not-for-profit trade association of the $207-billion specialty food industry. Representing more than 3,800 businesses worldwide, SFA champions industry participation and success for a diverse community of makers, buyers, importers, distributors, and service providers by developing resources, information, education, and events that celebrate innovation and inclusivity. SFA owns and operates the Fancy Food Shows as well as the sofi™ Awards, which have honored excellence in specialty food and beverage annually since 1972. The SFA also produces the e-newsletter SFA News Daily, the Trendspotter Panel annual predictions and Fancy Food Show reports, the State of the Specialty Food Industry Report, Today’s Specialty Food Consumer research, and the Spill & Dish podcast. Find out more online and connect with SFA on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
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