by TM Petaccia

Good Food Foundation awarded Sweet’s Elderberry, Sun Raised Foods, and Old North Shrub for their quality products and commitment to sustainable practices. TM Petaccia/UP

Three Charlotte area food artisans were recipients of 2023 Good Food Awards announced at a ceremony in Portland, Oregon, Friday, April 21.

Awarded by Good Food Foundation, the award recognizes quality crafted food and beverages whose creators demonstrate “a deep commitment to building a more sustainable and just food system.”

In Charlotte, Sweet’s Elderberry elderberry syrup won in the Elixirs category for the second year in a row. Owner Morgan Smorgala purchased the company last year from developer and founder Stephanie Rickenbaker. Smorgala continues to use the original formula which combines organic European elderberries with locally harvested honey from Herb’s Honey, ginger from Windcrest Farm Organics and Against the Grain Farm, and other natural ingredients. They focus on recyclable and sustainable packaging and donate a portion of profits to a number of local nonprofits.

“We can’t think of anything nicer than one Good Food Award, unless it’s two,” Smorgala says. “It’s such an honor to have our hard work recognized by this wonderful organization for the second year in a row, and we’re excited to share this special moment with so many amazing brands.”

Also in the Elixirs category, Old North Shrub, in Shelby won for its State Grape muscadine shrub. Using solely North Carolina muscadine grapes from Tranquility Farm in Mooresville, owner James Swofford naturally produces the shrub combining the grapes with organic apple cider vinegar, hibiscus, ginger, and other ingredients.

“We are honored to receive a Good Food Award which reflects our commitment to honest craft, sustainability, and our support of the local food community,” Swofford says. “Old North Shrub was built on relationships, specifically our long-term relationship with the folks at Free Range Brewing. We would never have made this product had it not been for Jason Alexander asking me to make a non-alcoholic beverage to serve on tap in their very first brewery location.”

In the Charcuterie category, Brooks Mixon’s Sun Raised Foods, headquartered in Cornelius, NC, won a Good Food award for his animal welfare approved Finocchiona lamb salami. Sourced from solar farms across North Carolina, Sun Raised Farms, its sister company, uses sheep to graze the grounds on solar farms – combining animal husbandry with alternative energy production. Animals are raised without the use of antibiotics or artificial growth hormones.

Nearly 2,000 artisanal food and beverage products throughout the U.S. were considered for the award. A team of 200 judges blind-tasted 513 finalists with 289 ultimately receiving 2023 Good Food accolades, fifteen in North Carolina overall.

Founded by Sarah Weiner and Dominic Phillips as Seedling Projects in 2010, the name was changed to Good Food Foundation in 2016. Located in San Francisco, the nonprofit conducts various programs with a focus on “honoring, celebrating, and empowering often underserved players in the food system.”