Mar 18, 2014

Dominique Ansel, Cronut Creator, to Host sofi Awards at Summer Fancy Food Show Donates Speaking Fee to City Harvest

Dominique Ansel, an internationally-acclaimed pastry chef and creator of treat sensation the Cronut®, a croissant-donut hybrid, will host the 42nd sofi™ Awards at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City.

Ansel, owner of Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York, was voted one of Business Insider’s “Most Innovative People Under 40” in 2013 and has been a James Beard Award finalist for “Outstanding Pastry Chef” in 2013 and 2014. He previously was executive pastry chef at Restaurant Daniel, and was part of the team that won a three-star Michelin rating and garnered a four-star New York Times review. A native of France, his first cookbook, “Dominique Ansel: The Secret Recipes” (working title), will be released this October.

The sofi Awards are the top honor in the $88 billion specialty food industry. They recognize creativity, innovation and excellence in 32 categories, including chocolate, cheese and baked goods. Ansel will serve as keynote speaker and present the awards at a red-carpet ceremony on June 30, 2014.

The awards are the must-attend event at the Summer Fancy Food Show, the largest marketplace for specialty foods and beverages in North America. Owned and produced by the Specialty Food Association, the show will take place June 29 – July 1, 2014, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

“Chef Ansel brings craft, care, and joy to the wonderful food he creates,” says Association President Ann Daw. “Those are the same qualities that our sofi Award honorees bring to their innovative products.”

A devoted supporter of anti-hunger initiatives, Ansel will donate his speaking fee from the Specialty Food Association to City Harvest, the Fancy Food Show’s anti-hunger charity for 25 years. The chef is a member of City Harvest’s Food Council.

“Using my passion for food to help fight hunger, what better win-win situation is there than this? I am honored to be part of the sofi Awards and celebrate creativity in food while supporting City Harvest’s efforts to provide meals to those in need,” says Ansel.

“City Harvest appreciates its 25-year relationship with the Specialty Food Association and we are proud to partner again on this significant food rescue opportunity,” says Jilly Stephens, executive director of City Harvest. “We have rescued more than 1.75 million pounds of food from the Fancy Food Show and delivered it to hungry New Yorkers, and we are grateful for the support of Chef Ansel who will generously donate his speaking fee to support our work.”

Press Registration

The Fancy Food Show is a trade-only event. The Specialty Food Association provides complimentary press badges to qualified media. Learn more and register. Press may attend the awards.

About Specialty Food Association

The Specialty Food Association is a thriving community of food artisans, importers and entrepreneurs who bring craft, care and joy to the distinctive foods they produce. Established in 1952 in New York, the not-for-profit trade association provides its 3,200 members in the U.S. and abroad the tools, knowledge and connections to champion and nurture their companies in an always-evolving marketplace. The Association (formerly the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc.) owns and produces the Winter and Summer Fancy Food Show, and presents the sofi Awards honoring excellence in specialty food. Learn more at specialtyfood.com

About City Harvest

Serving New York City for more than 30 years, City Harvest is the world’s first food rescue organization, dedicated to feeding the city’s hungry men, women and children. This year, City Harvest will collect 46 million pounds of excess food from all segments of the food industry, including restaurants, grocers, corporate cafeterias, manufacturers, and farms. This food is then delivered free of charge to more than 500 community food programs throughout New York City by a fleet of trucks and bikes. City Harvest helps feed the nearly two million New Yorkers who face hunger each year.

Specialty Food Association Media Contacts:

Ken Seiter, Chief Marketing Officer, 646-878-0104, kseiter@specialtyfood.com

Louise Kramer, Public Relations Director, 646-878-0130, lkramer@specialtyfood.com

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