The National Restaurant Association has announced the recipients of the Food and Beverage (FABI) Awards, which recognise progressive food and beverage products that will make a significant impact in the restaurant industry. T largest number of products to date in the awards’ five-year history, the 28 winners represent today’s leading food trends from new takes on gluten-free and vegetarian alternatives to local sourcing initiatives, including a revolutionary technology to freeze fruits and vegetables for up to three years.
An independent panel of experts, representing a variety of both commercial and non-commercial industry segments, selected the FABI Award recipients based on their exciting benefits to restaurant operators as well as the end consumer. The award recipients will be showcased throughout the exhibit halls at the NRA Show 2015 on May 16-19 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.
Some of the 2015 FABI Award winners are:
BRANDS OF BRITAIN, LLC | Fever-Tree Hand-Picked Elderflower Tonic Water | BOOTH #3784
Artisan-crafted in glass bottles to ensure premium freshness and high levels of carbonation, Fever-Tree Hand-Picked Elderflower Tonic Water uses only the best natural ingredients—handpicked elderflower from the UK, real quinine from Africa, and pure cane sugar—making its refreshing floral flavour both light and subtle in character, a true standout among mixers.
THE COCA-COLA COMPANY | Coca-Cola Freestyle® 7000 | BOOTH #4402
Offering 60+ beverages, the Coca-Cola Freestyle® 7000 is an ice-cooled countertop beverage dispenser that saves space and retrofitting costs for foodservice operators who want the advantages of the original Freestyle, but without compromising the benefits of consumer engagement, flavour variety and choice, and unparalleled access to consumption data and marketing programs.
CUP4CUP LLC | Gluten-Free Wholesome Flour Blend | BOOTH #10233
Developed in the kitchen of the famed French Laundry in Napa Valley, CA, Cup4Cup’s new Wholesome flour blend boasts such healthy additions as ground golden flaxseed and rice bran delivering 4g of fibre, 1200mg of Omega-3 fatty acids and 14g of whole grains per serving, making this the premier certified gluten-free, dairy-free, Kosher and non-GMO Project Verified cup-for-cup flour replacement for cooking and baking.
CANE SIMPLE™ | Liquid Sugar | BOOTH #10730
The only individually packaged simple syrup on the market and available in three flavours – Original, Mint and Vanilla—this all-natural Liquid Sugar not only dissolves instantly into cold beverages (unlike granulated sugar), but is ideal for hot beverages too.
EXPLORE ASIAN INC. | Organic Black Bean Spaghetti | BOOTH #10635
Offering foodservice operators another way to reach the growing consumer audience looking for healthier meals and gluten-free dishes, this delicious Black Bean Spaghetti cooks to al dente in just 7-8 minutes, delivering an organic, vegan, non-GMO and kosher experience packed with 25g of protein and 12g of fibre per serving.
HAIL MERRY® LLC | Nut Hummus | BOOTH #10642
Made from Macadamia nuts and cashews rather than traditional garbanzo beans, these dairy and gluten-free vegan dips are available in three savoury flauvors of Sriracha, Red Pepper Macadamia and Hatch Green Chile. They pair well with vegetables and crackers as well as sandwich spreads or pasta sauces to provide consumers with the beneficial fats and protein derived from raw nuts.
HEINEKEN® USA | BrewLock Draught Beer System | BOOTH #11309
This revolutionary, 100% recyclable draught system for Heineken Lager and Newcastle Brown Ale provides brewery fresh taste and perfect carbonation from the first pour to the last. It also eliminates the need for mixed gases to dispense the beer and its 20-litre kegs weigh in at 25% less than steel sixth-barrels and boast a 99.9% yield, considerably more than traditional draught systems and, therefore, more profitable.
NICE FRUIT | Nice Fruit | BOOTH #9116
The result of 10 years of research, Nice Fruit allows locally produced fruits and vegetables to reach any country in the world at any time of the year via a 100% physical process that allows the foods to be frozen without damaging their cellular structure, thus maintaining the vitamins, flavour and organaleptic properties of fresh-picked produce for up to three years.
TEART | The New Way of Drinking Tea | BOOTH #10519
Consisting of a patented conic disposable infuser that adapts to any sized paper cup and filled with 3g of premium loose-leaf tea, Teart combines the operational simplicity of tea bags with the premium loose-leaf flavours and aromas of the traditional tea pot. The result is a delicious and affordable single-serve beverage suitable for today’s on-the-go urban lifestyle.
WAIAKEA® INC. | Waiakea® Hawaiian Volcanic Water | BOOTH #10638
Beginning as snowmelt and rain in one of the purest environments on Earth—the peak of Hawaii’s active Mauna Loa volcano—then naturally filtered through 14,000 feet of porous volcanic rock, Waiakea volcanic water offers consumers a delicious tasting, naturally healthy, alkaline, carbon-neutral and ethically sustainable thirst-quenching beverage.
