Carolina Creole Wins Silvers and Goes for Gold

• SC-BASED SIMMER SAUCE A 2012 NASFT'S FANCY FOOD SHOW’S
SOFI™ AWARDS SILVER FINALIST •

April 24, 2012 — Georgetown, SC – South Carolina-based Luquire Family Foods is pleased to announce that their recently launched Carolina Creole® simmer sauce, has been selected as a NASFT (National Association of Specialty Food Trade, Inc.) 2012 sofi™ Silver Finalist in the foodservice category. A sofi Award is the top honor in the $75 billion specialty food industry and “sofi” stands for Specialty Outstanding Food Innovation. The NASFT was created in 1952 as a non-profit trade association and has established an annual competition highlighting an exceptional food product in each of the 30 food and beverage categories.

“As a newcomer to the world of specialty foods, we couldn’t be more thrilled to have our family recipe endorsed by NASFT and their panel of seasoned industry leaders. With Carolina Creole® expanding into additional retailers every day and our recent entry into foodservice, we are delighted with the success the company has achieved in less than one year of production,” explains co-founder Jason Luquire.

Sofi 2012

A national panel of specialty food experts spent several days tasting and evaluating a record 1,935 entries to select 110 Silver Finalists across 30 award categories, from Outstanding Appetizer, Antipasto and Salsa or Dip to Outstanding Vinegar. Gold Winners will be announced by noted chef José Andrés at a red-carpet ceremony June 18, 2012, at the Summer Fancy Food Show in Washington, D.C.

A pantry staple and an easily prepared gourmet meal, Carolina Creole® is a rich simmer sauce that is small batch crafted and bottled by South Carolina-based Luquire Family Foods. The sauce combines roughly chopped onions, bell peppers and tomatoes and signature spices, just waiting to be simmered with chicken, shrimp, sausage, or vegetables and served atop rice or grits. Carolina Creole® is available in 25oz. retail jars and 1/2 gallon, 1–gallon, and 5–gallon containers for foodservice. Available for purchase online at www.carolinacreole.com and through select retailers and distributors, Carolina Creole’s® packaging is vintage with a modern touch, inspired in part by vintage produce labels. The bottle's label includes simple preparation instructions along with the recipe's history — all shared with consumers in a casual, pull-up-a-chair-and-have-a-bite writing style. For more information or to place an order, please contact Jason Luquire at 843.485.4344 or info@carolinacreole.com.