The Good Food Awards, which recognizes authentic and delicious food throughout the United States, announced 291 finalists for 2017. There were 2,059 entries from 38 states and 14 categories, including chocolate, confections, honey, oils and more.

Finalists’ agricultural practices, animal husbandry, responsible supply chain relationships and sourcing were taken into account and compared to Good Food Awards standards.
 
There are 15 chocolate companies and 27 confectioners vying for Good Food Awards in their respective categories. In chocolate, the finalists are:
 

Areté Fine Chocolate, Gianduia Bar, California

Castronovo Chocolate, Dominican Republic Dark Milk 50%, Florida

Charm School Chocolate, 70% Dark Belize, Maryland

Creo Chocolate, Minty Dark 73%, Oregon

Cultura Craft Chocolate, 70% Haiti, Colorado

Dandelion Chocolate, Mantuano, Venezuela 70%, California

Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate, 78% Vietnam Tiên Giang, California

Fresh Coast Chocolate Co., Belize 70% & Tanzania 70%, Michigan

Fruition Chocolate, Marañón Canyon Dark Milk 68% & Hudson Valley Bourbon Dark Milk 61%, New York

LetterPress Chocolate, Costa Esmeraldas, Ecuador 70%, California

Lonohana Estate Chocolate, Milk and Ginger & Lonohana Estate 73%, Hawaii

Olive & Sinclair Chocolate Co., Mexican-Style Cinnamon Chili Chocolate Bar, Tennessee

Parliament Chocolate, Tanzania: Kilombero Valley, California

Patric Chocolate, Sweet and Sassy & Piura Dark Milk & 58% Dark Milk Chocolate, Missouri

Stone Grindz, Wild Bolivia 70%, Arizona

 

Within the confectionery category, the finalists are:

 

Alma Chocolate, Chocolate Pistachio Toffee, Oregon

Askinosie Chocolate, Dark Milk Chocolate + Black Licorice CollaBARation™ Bar, Missouri

Batch PDX, Candy Cap Mushroom Truffle & Ghost Pepper Truffle, Oregon

Bee Ranch, Honey Salted Caramel, Colorado

Big Picture Farm, Farmstead Chocolate Covered Caramels & Farmstead Caramels, Vermont

Cacao Art Chocolates, Tupelo Honey and Cardamom, Florida

Dear Coco Chocolate, Savannah Toffee Chocolate Bar, Maryland

Fat Toad Farm, Vanilla Bean Goat's Milk Caramel Sauce & Spicy Dark Chocolate Goat's Milk Caramel Sauce, Vermont

Fran's Chocolates, Almond Gold Bar, Washington

French Broad Chocolates, Sorghum Caramel, North Carolina

Fruition Chocolate, Brown Butter Bourbon Caramels, New York

GerDan Chocolates, Gingerbread Caramels, North Carolina

Hawaiian Nougat Company, Lilikoi Nougat, Hawaii

Kakao Chocolate, Chai Tea Truffle & Norton Pâtés du Vin, Missouri

Little Apple Treats, Apple Pie Spice Caramels, California

Mayana Chocolate, The Space Bar & Coconut Dream Bar, Wisconsin

NeoCocoa, Black Sesame Seed Toffee Brittle, California

Nosh This, Macadamia Crack en Fuego & Lavender Fleur de Sel Caramel, California

Patric Chocolate, Oatmeal Cookie Bar, Missouri

Seersucker Candy Co., Muzzle Loaders, Tennessee

The Chocolate Maker's Studio, Fennel Pollen Caramel Bar, Texas

Theo Chocolate, Walla Walla Sweet Onion Caramel, Washington

Tonewood Maple, Maple Cream, Vermont

Valenza Chocolatier, Barolo Bonbon, California

Vermont Amber Organic Toffee, Fennel Seed Toffee, Vermont

Videri Chocolate Factory, Rosemary Honey Chocolate Caramel, North Carolina

Zak’s Chocolate, Cacao Nib Caramel, Arizona

 
Winners of the Good Food Awards will be announced at a Jan. 20 awards ceremony at the Herbst Theater in the San Francisco War Memorial. A reception including the winners’ food and beverages will follow the ceremony. A limited number of tickets are being sold to attend the ceremony and reception.
 
The following day, on Jan. 21, the Good Food Mercantile Show will take place at the Festival Pavilion at the Fort Mason Center. Four hundred food manufacturers who meet the Good Food Foundation’s criteria will be in attendance. Tickets are only open to those in the trade.

The Good Food Awards Marketplace will be open to everyone on Jan. 22. Visitors can taste and buy the winners’ food and drinks. Tickets will be available in December.