Western Canada’s largest grocery exhibition and conference, the Grocery & Specialty Food West (GSFW), returned for the 29th year this past week with an expanded and enhanced program at the Vancouver Convention Centre (West). More than 300 booths of leading grocery and specialty food suppliers, equipment, food service, technology and more, showcased their latest innovations and services.
Disclosure: I attended the show as media where my admission was complimentary.
In addition to keynote sessions from experts in the grocery industry, the GSFW included a Top 10 in Grocery judging session that featured local food experts who anonymously evaluated a series of products from the New Product Showcase, based on criteria such as: practicality, packaging, innovation and more.
Top 10 in Grocery for 2018
- Best Convenience: Blue Dragon 3 Step Meal Kits (ID Foods)
- Best Health/Wellness: Apple & Eve Vegan Protein Smoothie
- Best Oil: Canada Golden-Pure Cold Pressed Camelina Oil
- Best Non-Food: CasuGrill (CasuGrill Canada)
- Best Refrigerated: Egg Bakes Crustless Quiche (Burnbrae Farms)
- Best Condiment/Spread/Sauce: Fatso Hybrid Peanut Butter (Fatso)
- Best Frozen: Monteli Cauliflower Thin Crust Pizza (Tree of Life)
- Best Beverage: Partake Pale Ale (Partake Brewing)
- Best HABA: Sugar & Spice-Pink Sugar Body Lotion (Sugar & Spice)
- Best Sustainable: World Centric Certified Compostable Party Plates (On Green Go Solutions)
Here are some other photos from the event:
Kit Kat Canada has some new flavours in store including Cookie Crumble and Hazelnut Crunch.
Gravelbourg Mustard specializes in European style mustards and utilizes locally grown mustard seeds. They were recently featured on Dragon’s Den.
Coca-Cola has unveiled a new lineup of flavoured Diet Cokes. I particularly enjoyed the Zesty Blood Orange.
Partake IPA is an award winning craft non-alcoholic beer.
Bosa Foods had a particularly delicious booth with food samples.
Canadian Prairie Bison offers a range of ranch-raised and grain-fed bison products.
Fatso Hybrid Peanut Butter was named best condiment/spread. Fatso is an all natural peanut butter enriched with plant-based superfats.
