21 U.S. Roasters Named 2016 Good Food Awards Finalists

Good Food Awards photo.

The finalists for the 2016 Good Food Awards have been announced, with 21 coffees from 21 U.S. coffee roasting companies making the cut.

Like all GFA food categories, the coffee category has a dual focus on quality and sustainable and ethical sourcing and production practices. The GFA Coffee Committee has reworked some of its selection criteria for the 2016 awards, and here is a portion of what its looking for in award-worthy coffees, in addition to quality:

• Traceable back to the producer (or producers) at the farm (or cooperative) level.
• Sourced in such a way that there is price transparency throughout the supply chain; farm-gate prices meet or exceed Fair Trade minimums; and the rights of farm workers are respected.
• Sourced from a farm where there is an emphasis on pursuing sustainable agricultural practices, including water conservation and minimizing or eliminating the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides.
• Roasted in the USA.

Winners of the 2016 Good Food Awards will be honored in San Francisco on January 14, with special presentations from food-thought leaders Carlo Petrini, Alice Waters and Nell Newman.

As in previous years, Ethiopias, Kenyas and Panama Geishas are heavily represented on this year’s list of finalists, although 2016 demonstrates the competition’s most diverse list of roasters within the U.S. to date, with roasters from Oregon (3), New York (3), California (3), Colorado, Idaho, Wisconsin (3), Virginia, Connecticut, Texas, Washington, Maine, Arkansas, Minnesota and Pennsylvania.

Here is the list in full:

Abundancia Coffee, Kenya AA Blue Mt, Oregon
Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, Panama Esmerelda Estate, Lino Lot Natural
Blue Bottle Coffee, Guatemala El Injerto, New York
Commonwealth Coffee, Kenya Nyeri Gachatha Lot #160 AA & Panama Carmen Estate Washed Geisha, Colorado
Equator Coffees & Teas, Panama Finca Sophia Gesha, California
Evans Brothers Coffee, Kenya Gatundu Karinga AB, Idaho
JBC Coffee Roasters, Finca La Mula Panama Geisha, Wisconsin
Joe Coffee Company, Ethiopia Guji Yabitu Koba, New York
Kickapoo Coffee Roasters, Organic Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Idido Cooperative,Wisconsin
Klatch Coffee, Kenya Karatu, California
Mudhouse Coffee Roasters, Finca La Mula CAC Reserve Geisha, Virginia
NEAT Coffee, Kenya Gachatha, Connecticut
Noble Coffee Roasting, Ethiopian ‘Hama’, Oregon
Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters, Panama Carmen Geisha, Texas
Olympia Coffee Roasting Company, Ethiopia Adame Garbota, Washington
Onyx Coffee Lab, Colombian Granja la Esperanza Margaritas Natural, Arkansas
Red Whale Coffee, Elida Geisha, California
Ruby Coffee Roasters, Ethiopia Guji Uraga, Wisconsin
Speckled Ax Wood Roasted Coffee, Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Hafursa, Maine
Spyhouse Coffee Roasting Co., Suke Quto – Ethiopia, Minnesota
Square One Coffee, Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Adado, Pennsylvania