LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

story by KAREN ANN DAVIDSON

We asked Food and Lifestyle Blogger, Karen Ann Davidson to tell us about her experience as a judge at this year's Product of the Year filming event. We appreciate Karen's involvement with the awards this year, as well as her ongoing support of BC's food and beverage industry.

The morning of the BC Food & Beverage Awards was absolutely beautiful. It was the perfect day to go into Vancouver and get a super fun series of events started.

I arrived at the theatre just prior to the call time for the BC Food & Beverage "Product of The Year" presentations. What’s the first thing I did? I hugged people, shook hands with people, did some introductions, and started to get acquainted with those around me. Right off the bat, the energy was amazing.

As I wound my way through the theatre, I found the set. It was full of bright lights and a sexy BC Food & Beverage mural for the background created by none other than the talented, Great Little Box Company. The set was exactly how I pictured it and more.

There was panel style seating with 5 chairs across from a stage serving as the presentation area for the products. There were both stationary and mobile cameras, which was so neat to see in person. The production staff from Picnic Creative were delightful as they mic'd me up and ran sound checks, and the bright lights were fixed to highlight the product on a high round table. It was really hard to contain my excitement. You guys, I even had my own name plate in front of me, just like on the TV show, Match Game!

Once the camera started rolling, it was finally time for the presentations. Each food producer was given 10 minutes to present and for us to have a question-and-answer session, timed precisely by the Picnic Creative team. Yes, the intensity and nerves were high in the beginning, but it all ended up being such an enlightening experience to be a part of.

I must say that it meant so much to me to be sitting on a panel with accomplished food industry professionals. I've kept the solid practice of never being the smartest person in the room and if you are that person, perhaps you need to visit another room. There's been many variations of this quote used over the years and it's one that has served me well—today was no exception. It was me that was learning, listening, and understanding from my peers as well as welcoming with open arms the BC food producers who had come to share their passions with us. You know that Oprah GIF where she’s waving her arms in the air? That’s exactly how I felt!

Between acknowledging the fabulous food products coming from beautiful British Columbia to witnessing the belief, dedication, and commitment each food producer showed, I can't even begin to describe how much it made my heart burst wide open. The stories, the fun candor, and the genuine sense of the company vibe I felt is something I will always cherish.

You know what else I also embraced during this experience? The unexpected. Prior to coming to the presentations, I did some research and there were some products I was looking forward to trying. To my surprise, the products I was most looking forward to turned out to be some of my least favourite performers of the day, whereas the products I was feeling ‘meh’ about turned out to be in my top 3! Funny how expectations work, hey?

Now, onto what I loved about the presentations. I can’t knock the genuine passion that each food producer displayed which strongly translated to their food product.

Many great products are coming out of our province that we should all be so proud and excited about. Each company has a niche that they wholeheartedly believe in. A driving force throughout the entrepreneurial journey is the belief in what you are creating. The finalists for this year's awards wowed me with their drive and belief in their creations, something that inspires me to continue pouring my heart out into what I’m creating as well! For that I say, THANK you.

Let's meet our Gold, Silver and Bronze winners!

GOLD Gnubees+ by GnuSante Creations

Operated by owner Ron Kendrick and his daughter Sarah, Gnubees+ is a naturally flavored kid-friendly nutritional beverage with protein and fibre. The company was developed in Vancouver in 2012 and continues to make what's good for you, taste good! Not only do kids love how tasty it is, it is also made with ingredients and packaging that is wonderful for our environment.

SILVER Sourdough Pasta by Kaslo Sourdough

Silvio and Gabrielle Lettrari are the owners of this second-generation family business located in West Kootenays. Together, they've run Kaslo Sourdough bakery for over 20 years, providing healthy options and solutions for wheat-intolerant individuals.

BRONZE Modern Gyoza by Modern Meat

Modern Gyoza is made with seasoned modern crumble, a ground beef substitute rich in protein. Tara Haddad is the CEO/Founder with over 20 years of experience building successful companies with her background in entrepreneurship. Her team creates a selection of healthy, gourmet vegan options, all which are crafted from natural ingredients.

Completing our list of finalists for the 2021 Product of the Year are:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix by Susgrainable Health Foods

Founded in 2018 in Vancouver, the founders of this company spent over 2 years developing a process to quickly dehydrate barley from craft breweries. They’re fueled by their passion for beer and use their ability to turn beer waste into baked goods that people can benefit from.

The Meadow by Spread 'Em Kitchen

Founder and CEO Melissa of The Meadow makes cashew cheese and plant based dips that can now be found nationwide. From a home kitchen in 2015 to a 20,000 square foot state of the art facility in 2019, this company has quickly grown to serve foodies, both plant-based and not, nationally!

Plant-based Protein Bars by Next Level Foods

Eric Lofgren is not only the founder, but a recovering engineer who set out to develop plant-based protein bars that don’t include any mystery sugars or ingredients. The bars are gluten free, nut free, made with dates, coconut, and locally sourced organic pumpkin seed protein powder.

Wagyu Burger by Hiro Wagyu Ltd.

While some brands claim to be Wagyu, they often contain less than 50% or less Wagyu in them. Hiro Wagyu beef contains more healthy fat than any other breed. Located in Abbotsford BC, Hiro Wagyu is proud to provide one of Japan’s national treasures to others.

Lemon Turmeric Energy Drink by Moonshine Mama's Kitchens

Inspired by a desire to cure herself from the nourishment found in nature, CEO/ Founder Melinda Divers is sharing her antiinflammatory, antioxidant-rich turmeric based elixirs to the rest of the world.

Maple Peanut Butter & Almond + Seed Butters by FATSO

Jill Van Gyn set out to create a low cost nut butter packed with more nutrition into one spoonful than any other nut butter on the market. From that mission came her FATSO nut butters, launched in 2016. Fatso is made from healthy fats and whole ingredients, and they don’t contain palm oil or sugar.

Blueberry Lassi by Plant Veda Foods Ltd

Founded by CEO Sunny Gurnani, Plant Veda is a milk alternative offering wholesome plant based dairy made with organic cashews. The company uses innovative technology to produce, develop and sell plant-based dairy alternatives including: cashew cream, cashew milk and probiotic cashew Lassi.

Karen Ann Davidson

As Owner and Creative Director of the fast-growing online food and lifestyle destination Karen Ann Davidson, Karen spends the majority of her time curating a unique blend of world-class food-centric blogs, photography, videos, recipes, and more. This includes both immersion in her local Vancouver foodie scene, as well as content from her global travels. As someone whose first question upon arrival at a new destination is always “Where is the closest farmer’s market?”, Karen is quick to identify the best and most authentic takes on local cuisine, no matter where she lands in the world.