Scenes from the 2018 Good Food Awards

This year’s Good Food Awards were jam-packed with tasty coffees and delicious treats, celebrating the best craft foods of the year.

BY ASHLEY RODRIGUEZ
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE

Photos by Josh Littlefield

The Good Food Awards (GFAs) took place January 19 in San Francisco. The GFAs, now in their eighth year, celebrate achievements and outstanding work in 15 categories, including coffee. In November, we announced the 27 finalists, and after days of rigorous tasting by a panel of roasters, Q-Graders, and coffee experts, the field was narrowed down to 15 winners. The list of winners includes veteran champs like Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea in Los Angeles and Square One Coffee in Lancaster, Pa., as well as new entrants like Noble Coyote Coffee Roasters out of Dallas and Per’La Specialty Roasters from Miami. And while Ethiopian coffees are generally a popular pick at the GFAs, this year’s winners are notable in that every coffee was from Ethiopia.

After they were announced, the winners then showcased their goods at a marketplace, held at the Fort Mason Center. Attendees could taste winning products and beverages, and purchase goods. We snapped a few photos of coffee brewing and caffeine consumption from the marketplace, showcased below. Scroll down to see a complete list of the 2018 winners.

The Good Food Awards are held every year in San Francisco. The GFAs celebrate artisan goods in categories such as chocolate, beer, and coffee (of course!), as well as the newcomer category of elixirs.

Blueprint Coffee out of St. Louis won this year with a coffee from the Hambela cooperative in Ethiopia.

The 2018 slate of winners sent their coffees in to be tasted and judged in July of last year; they were then narrowed down to a list of 27 finalists in November, and 15 winners were announced last week. Less than 10 percent of those who entered the contest won.

Folks from OQ Coffee Co. in Highland Park, N.J., brewing up some of their winning coffee from the Kayon Mountain Estate in Ethiopia.

Chemexes of Intelligentsia’s winning coffee, Ethiopia Tikur Anbessa. You can’t enter just any coffee to the Good Food Awards committee—the GFAs look specifically for coffees that are grown responsibly and are transparently sourced.

Ozo Coffee out of Denver showcasing its winning coffee, Ethiopia Hambela Kirite. After the awards ceremony, winners showcased their goods in an open-air market, where shoppers could purchase any of the winning goods.

Throughout the marketplace, patrons could enjoy some of the best coffees and goods to come together under one roof.

Blueprint Coffee, Ethiopia Hambela, Missouri
Compelling Coffee, Ethiopia Banko Gotiti Coffee, California
Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea, Organic Ethiopia Tikur Anbessa, California
JBC Coffee Roasters, Gedeb Lot 83 Ethiopia Natural, Wisconsin
Mudhouse Coffee Roasters, Limu Dabesa, Ethiopia, Virginia
Noble Coffee Roasting, Ethiopian ‘Bishan Fugu,’ Oregon
Noble Coyote Coffee Roasters, Ethiopian Guji – Organic – Natural Process, Texas
OQ Coffee Co., Kayon Mountain Estate, Ethiopia, New Jersey
Ozo Coffee Roasters, Ethiopia Hambela Kirite, Colorado
Pachamama Coffee Cooperative, Organic Ethiopia Kossa Geshe & Organic Ethiopia Natural Amaro, California
Per’La Specialty Roasters, Ethiopia Shakiso, Florida
Revel Coffee, Ethiopia Kayon Mountain Guji Dry, Montana
Royal Mile Coffee, Ethiopia Shakiso Mormora Farm, New Jersey
Square One Coffee, Ethiopia Shakiso Mormora, Pennsylvania
Vashon Coffee Company, Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Natural Daniel Miju, Washington