Four Southwest Georgia food businesses win awards in 10th annual Flavor of Georgia contest

ATLANTA — Southwest Georgia had three category winners and the winner of the People’s Choice Award in the University of Georgia’s 10th annual Flavor of Georgia contest.

The winners were announced Tuesday at the final judging in Atlanta.

“We had over 100 products submitted this year and some of the toughest competition we’ve seen in the contest’s 10 year history,” said Sharon P. Kane, Flavor of Georgia contest coordinator. “The 33 products represented are truly the best of the best.”

Entries from five small businesses in Southwest Georgia made the final three in four of the contest’s 11 categories. They were Carroll’s Sausage and Meats of Ashburn and White Oak Pastures of Bluffton, both finalists in Meats and Seafood; Joe Kem’s BBQ of Moultrie in Barbecue Sauces; Wisham Jellies of Tifton in Jams and Jellies, and Paulk’s Pride of Wray in Beverages, the category it won in 2015.

After the final judging, Joe Kem’s Bar-B-Que Sauce, Wisham Jellies Wild Mayhaw Pepper Jelly and Paulk’s Pride White Muscadine Juice won their respective categories, while Carroll’s won the People’s Choice Award with its Medium Smoked Link Sausage.

The top prize of the day went to Southern Baked Pie Company of Gainesville, which won the event’s grand prize with owner Amanda Wilbank’s caramel pecan pie.

Johnny Walker, manager of business development for Carroll’s, said the company was already feeling the impact. “I’ve had three distributors call me today, just since we won this award,” he said. “It’s a good way to get a great product out in front of people.”

Walker said he was proud of the award, which Wisham Jellies won last year. “You’re not just selected by the judges. It’s everybody there,” he said. “It’s a very prestigious award. We’re very proud of it.”

He said Carroll’s will be back in the hunt next year, complimenting the Flavor of Georgia organizers for a “well organized” event. “We will be submitting a different product,” he said. “We haven’t determined which one yet. But we’ll be right there.”

Walker also noted that Carroll’s carries some of the other Southwest Georgia products that fared well, including Wisham Jellies and Joe Kem’s Bar-B-Que Sauce.

“It’s kind of amazing,” he said. “We’re a circle of winners.”

Eric Wisham, owner of Wisham Jellies, returned a call from his cell phone Wednesday. He was still in Atlanta, participating in the annual peanut butter and jelly day at the Capitol and meeting with Whole Foods on the possibility of getting his products into their stores.

Wisham said he made his first jar of jelly for sale in May 2012, opening his store in October 2013. Wisham Jellies now has nine flavors that it produces, and he’s started a social media campaign using #getyourglazeon to connect to his products.

“We’re excited about it,” he said.”We’re proud to represent Tifton and Georgia.

“If anything, we’re proud to represent Georgia in a jar. The mayhaws we use are from a source here in Georgia, and so are the peppers we use.”

He said he’s also hoping the contest will be good for business. “I hope it’ll lead to business and to other events as well,” he said.

Kem Lacey of Moultrie said he enjoyed the contest, which he and his son J. entered near the deadline.

“It was a surprise (to win), but it was a good surprise,” he said Wednesday. “We’re proud that we were there.”

Like Wisham and the others from the area, he uses local ingredients in his sauces, including sugar from Savannah and ketchup that originates from tomatoes from his home county of Colquitt, “grown just about right around the corner” from his home.

“It was fun,” he said. “J. wasn’t even going to send it in. We’re just proud we did it, and I’m glad we won.”

The Beverages Category was won by Muscadine Products Corporation of Wray with its Paulk’s Pride 100% White Muscadine Juice. The company also won the Beverages Category in 2015 with its purple muscadine juice.

The annual contest is conducted by the UGA Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development so that Georgia food businesses to showcase their new products. The products of the 33 finalists in the 11 categories were judged by a team of food industry experts and grocery buyers, who rated each on qualities including innovation, use of Georgia as a theme, market potential and flavor.

Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black and UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Dean and Director Sam Pardue congratulated the category and grand prizewinners as part of Georgia Agriculture Awareness Day at the Georgia Freight Depot in Atlanta.

In addition to her grand prize, Wilbanks’ Caramel Pecan Pie won the Confection category. The other category winners were:

— Dairy Products: Revolution Gelato, Nekkid Espresso Dairy-Free Gelato, Revolution Gelato, Jared Olkin, Atlanta;

— Honey: Bruce’s Nut N Honey Farm/The Honey Shack, Papa’s Private Selection Honey 100% Pure, Raw, Unfiltered; Ben Bruce, Homerville;

— Marinades, Sauces and Rubs: The Salt Table, Leek, Chive and Onion Dip and Seasoning Blend, David and Carol Legasse, Savannah;

— Meat and Seafood: Hunter Cattle Company, Hot Georgia Night Sausage, Del Ferguson, Brooklet;

— Miscellaneous: Beautiful Briny Sea, Pocketful of Starlight Vanilla Sugar, Atlanta

— Salsas, Chutneys and Condiments: Abby J’s Gourmet, Abby J’s Blackhawk Field to Fork Sweet Fire Pickles, Abby Jackson, Clarkesville;

— Snack Foods: Marsh Cabin Bakery, Kim’s Cheese Straws—Pecan Cheddar, Kim Kaiser, Statesboro.

Category winners received an award and membership in the state Department of Agriculture’s Georgia Grown program, statewide notoriety and bragging rights. All winners and finalists earn the right to have their products stamped with the 2016 Flavor of Georgia logo. They also gain exposure to grocery buyers and food industry professionals who judge the final round of the contest, organizers said.

The Flavor of Georgia food product contest is sponsored by the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development in partnership with the Georgia Center of Innovation for Agribusiness, the Office of the Governor, Walton EMC, the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Agribusiness Council.

More information about this year’s contest can be found at http://flavorofga.com/ or by following @Flavor_of_GA on Twitter.