Kealakekua, Hawaii (June 15, 2011) – Big Island Bees’ organic Lehua & Cinnamon honey has been selected as a 2011 Silver Finalist for Outstanding New Product in the   sofi™ Awards from the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc.  The sofi Awards recognize excellence in specialty foods and beverages and are a coveted industry honor. “sofi” stands for Specialty Outstanding Food Innovation.

The Lehua & Cinnamon honey was one of 125 SilverFinalists selected by a national panel of specialty food experts from a record 2,236 contenders across 33 Awards categories. Gold Winners will be announced in a red-carpet ceremony July 11, 2011 at the Summer Fancy Food Show in Washington, D.C. hosted by Celebrity Chef Cat Cora.

“We are thrilled that the judges picked our organic Lehua & Cinnamon honey,” said Whendi Grad, founder of Big Island Bees. “The combination of these two organic products from the Big Island seemed like a perfect match to us, and the judges seemed to agree”.  Big Island Bees’ products include organic Ohia-Lehua Blossom, organic Wilelaiki Blossom, and Macadamia Nut Blossom honeys, and are distributed throughout Hawaii, the U.S. West Coast, Canada, Japan, and China.

The sofi Awards are open to members of the NASFT, a not-for-profit trade association established in 1952 with more than 2,900 members throughout the U.S. and abroad. For more information on the NASFT and its Fancy Food Shows, go to www.specialtyfood.com and for complete coverage of the 2011 sofi Awards, visit foodspring.com/sofiawards.

“The field was the most competitive yet, with more than 2,326 entries across all

33 Awards. The innovation and quality of the finalists are a true testament to the entrepreneurial spirit of our members,” says Ann Daw, president of the NASFT.