Lavender

Up & Comers is our search for the next great brands in food. This year we partnered with Cherry Bombe, a platform championing women in food, who share our mission to highlight and support small makers. We dedicated two awards — our Hero Winner and Cherry Bombe’s Women in Food Award — to female and femme-identifying entrepreneurs. 

With over 1000 submissions, our  judges have spoken, along with a vote by the people to determine a fan favorite. Shop the 2022 Up & Comers winners and finalists in this aisle.

Up & Comers Winners 2022

Up & Comers Small Makers Awards is our program aimed at helping entrepreneurs share their big idea with the world.

Merlot

Up & Comers Winners

Ingredient Innovation Finalists

Women in Food Finalists

Just Damn Good Finalists

Classics Reimagined Finalists

Fan Favorites Finalists

Up & Comers Winner

Up & Comers Hero Winner.

Tell me you want something that tastes like taco dip without telling me you want something that tastes like taco dip. Bold and smoky with just the right amount of kick. Did we mention this tastes like taco dip?  

Perfect for TexMex enthusiasts and people needing a bold, savory topping to punch up any meal.The dip is gluten free, soy free, keto, paleo, & vegan, and has so many ways to enjoy it–  as a dip, marinade, dressing, or straight off the spoon, to be honest.

In 2020, Audrey’s dad was recovering from cancer and she was seeking ways to introduce more whole, plant-based foods into his diet. She founded Toasty when her delicious and healthy plant-based dips— receiving rave reviews— frankly, were too good not to share with the world.

Toasty – Chipotle Toasted Almond Dip

Up & Comers Hero Winner.

This creamy Jalapeno Ranch Toasted Almond Dip is better (and better-for-you) than the real thing; tangy, creamy, and made from simple ingredients, you’re gonna forget all about ol’ dairy-based Ranch. The dip is gluten free, soy free, keto, paleo, & vegan, and has so many ways to enjoy it–  as a dip, marinade, dressing, or straight off the spoon, to be honest.

Toasty – Jalapeno Ranch Toasted Almond Dip

Cherry Bombe Women in Food Winner.

Kola Goodies' Sri Lankan Milk Tea is the perfect blend of loose leaf Ceylon tea, creamy milk, and natural, caramel-y sweetness.

With just four ingredients, the recipe is as simple as the preparation; just add hot water to the package for a delicious, creamy milk tea that is low in caffeine and high in L-Theanine, offering long lasting energy without the crash or jitters.

Founder Sajani was born in Sri Lanka and came to the US at 19 for college. She missed her Amma’s good-for-you treats like Kola Kanda and Sri Lankan Milk Tea, and saw a lack of representation of the people who have been using these ingredients and rituals for thousands of years. Sajani created Kola Goodies as a way to bring South Asian rituals to the U.S. in better-for-you ways with ethical and direct sourcing that helps give back to the communities of these now trendy ingredients.

Kola Goodies - Sri Lankan Milk Tea

Up & Comers Fan Favorite Winner.

A staple food of Southeast Europe, Balkan Bites honor an Albanian family recipe passed on through generations of women. These frozen Burek are savory phyllo pies made with real ingredients, flaky on the outside and oozing with goodness on the inside. All-natural phyllo dough is made from scratch with premium ingredients like unbleached flour, extra-virgin olive oil, and real butter.

Balkan Bites exist at the rare and coveted intersection of comfort and convenience with multiple filling options tasting way too good to be this easy to pull off. Great as a quick, shareable snack or a full meal on your own.

Balkan Bites - Cheese Medley Burek

Balkan Bites - Beef & Onion Burek

Balkan Bites - Spinach & Cheese Burek

Up & Comers Classic Product Reimagined Winner.

One for the nostalgic and sweet-toothed, this Vanilla Marshmallow Creme is an aromatic, whole ingredient version of the famous fluff you’re probably familiar with. Plant-based, dairy-free, gluten-free, top 8 allergen free; the minimal ingredient list offers a healthier approach to a beloved sweet treat.

Funky Mellow is a black-owned snack company run by a husband and wife duo from Austin, Texas who noticed a lack of clean desserts on the market and set out to change that.

Funky Mello - Vanilla Marshmallow Creme

Up & Comers Classic Product Reimagined Winner.

Marshmallows make us happy, but the traditional ingredients do not. So Funky Mello crafted a cleaner marshmallow that is delicious, easy to use, and tummy-friendly.

Plant-based, dairy-free, gluten-free, top 8 allergen free; the minimal ingredient list offers a healthier approach to a beloved sweet treat.

Funky Mello - Cookies n Creme Marshmallow Creme

Up & Comers Ingredient Innovation Winner. 

Madly Hadley’s Coconut Bacon is a crowd-pleaser that seems to defy our basis of flavor-reality. An organic, vegan, non-GMO, paleo, gluten-free and keto friendly ‘bacon’ snack made from coconut, the allure of this alternative is kind of a no brainer. Top your salads, pastas, pizzas, burgers, avocado toasts or enjoy as a snack.

Made with clean simple vegan ingredients that your body will thank you for, plant-based Chef Madelyn Hadley has been fielding questions for years about it. While working as a private chef and teaching cooking classes, clients always want to know: “where can I buy this?”

Madly Hadley - Original Coconut Bacon

Up & Comers Just Damn Good Winner.

Perfect for the everyday palette, Mama Teav’s Mild Hot Garlic Sauce is a wholesome mixture of spice-laced organic ingredients and garlic all swimming in chili oil, which makes for an unsuspecting wave of spicy, sweet and savory flavors in each bite. Mama Teav’s Hot Garlic uses all natural ingredients, has no preservatives, and is also gluten free and vegan. Pizzas, salads, and breads are a great place to start, but you can truly put this on anything.

100% natural ingredients. Zero preservatives. Gluten-free and vegan.

Over the years, the brother and sister duo behind Mama Teav’s has built careers at highly regarded culinary institutions, including Morimoto Napa, The French Laundry, The Progress, State Bird Provisions, and Nyum Bai. Mama Teav’s brand is a love letter to mom and a celebration of family, community, and their Cambodian-American identity.

Mama Teavs - Mild Hot Garlic

Up & Comers Just Damn Good Winner.

Mama Teav’s Hot Garlic Sauce is a wholesome mixture of spice-laced organic ingredients and garlic all swimming in chili oil, which makes for an unsuspecting wave of spicy, sweet and savory flavors in each bite. Mama Teav’s Hot Garlic uses all natural ingredients, has no preservatives, and is also gluten free and vegan. Pizzas, salads, and breads are a great place to start, but you can truly put this on anything.

100% natural ingredients. Zero preservatives. Gluten-free and vegan.

Mama Teavs - Original Hot Garlic

Up & Comers Finalist

Up & Comers Ingredient Innovation Finalist

Crunchy fruit snacks made only with fruit.
TALA was created to tackle a simple problem: Make an accessible snack that is both healthy and free from any sweeteners or additives. TALA's founders grew up in Asia loving freeze-dried fruit as a midday snack, so they decided to share the experience with American consumers -- who don't have much exposure to freeze-dried fruit outside Special K Red Berry Cereal.

Just. One. Ingredient. 

These fruit snacks are innovative because they are freeze-dried; they melt in your mouth, with a great texture and flavor profile, and all without any unnecessary additives.

TALA - Banana

Up & Comers Ingredient Innovation Finalist.

Crunchy fruit snacks made only with fruit.
TALA was created to tackle a simple problem: Make an accessible snack that is both healthy and free from any sweeteners or additives. TALA's founders grew up in Asia loving freeze-dried fruit as a midday snack, so they decided to share the experience with American consumers -- who don't have much exposure to freeze-dried fruit outside Special K Red Berry Cereal.

TALA - Pineapple

Up & Comers Ingredient Innovation Finalist.

Ingredients: maqui berries, lemon, blueberry, apple, banana, almond, flaxseed, cauliflower, coconut milk, sacha inchi protein.

Realm Smoothie powder is made from only real ingredients — fruits, veggies, superfoods, and plant protein — finely-dried & crushed at peak ripeness to serve up the most delicious and fastest smoothie in the universe.

“The original idea for Realm was to find a way to make the most nutritiously-perfect, easiest smoothie in the universe. It had to be for clean eaters. It had to take less than 2 minutes to make. Oh, and it had to taste like a dream and fill you up for like 3 hours.”

The easiest smoothie you’ll ever make. Blend with ice and water in seconds. On the run? Toss it in a shaker with water to take Realm on the road.

So surprisingly good and really simple for a meal, everything you need for a healthy, whole-ingredient smoothie in seconds.

Realm Maqui Superfruit Grab-n-Go Smoothie

Up & Comers Ingredient Innovation Finalist.

Ingredients: pineapple, coconut milk, mango, carrot, almond, flaxseed, wheatgrass, barley grass, sacha Inchi protein.

Realm Smoothie powder is made from only real ingredients — fruits, veggies, superfoods, and plant protein — finely-dried & crushed at peak ripeness to serve up the most delicious and fastest smoothie in the universe.

“The original idea for Realm was to find a way to make the most nutritiously-perfect, easiest smoothie in the universe. It had to be for clean eaters. It had to take less than 2 minutes to make. Oh, and it had to taste like a dream and fill you up for like 3 hours.”

Realm Tropical Greens Grab-n-Go Smoothie

Up & Comers Ingredient Innovation Finalist.

No nuts, no dairy, no gluten, no soy... no, seriously. If you’re obsessed with queso (like we are), you’re in the right place. We’ve reimagined classic nacho sauce with real vegetables, tons of nutrients, no artificial flavors or colors, and none of the top 8 allergens. Plant-based, dairy-free, delicious flavor—it’s a party in a (shelf stable) jar.

It tastes like the real thing.

“I'm a former dairy cheeseaholic, cheese dip aficionado, and founder of LOCA. I wanted to make a cheese dip that tastes just like the jarred stuff I grew up eating - minus the dairy and other junk. So I created LOCA - a potato-based cheesy sauce for modern times.”

- Lauren, Founder of LOCA

LOCA Foods - Mild Cheddar Plant-Based Potato Queso

LOCA Foods - Spicy Jalapeño Plant-Based Potato Queso

Up & Comers Ingredient Innovation Finalist. Ujjo makes hot sauce for your coffee.

What started as a dare by a friend to put hot sauce in her coffee (it wasn't good) sparked an innovative idea by Ujjo founder, Lauren D'Souza. An Indian-American who grew up drinking her grandmother's spiced chai, the experience made Lauren wonder... why can't we have that same experience for coffee?

With subtle sweeteners, cozy spices and zero vinegar, Ujjo takes your favorite coffee and makes it even better. Also try it in tea, a cocktail, or dessert.  

TRY IT IN: LIGHT OR MEDIUM ROAST COFFEE / GREEN TEA / CLEAR LIQUOR COCKTAILS / VANILLA ICE CREAM

True ingredient innovation... we’ve never seen anything like this before. Delicate, balanced, and uniquely innovative.

Ujjo Hot Sauce for Coffee - Light Roast Blend

Cherry Bombe Women in Food Finalist.

Peanut Butter filled Chocolate Dates made with all organic ingredients including medjool dates, crunchy peanut butter, 100% pure cacao and extra virgin olive oil.

An indulgent dessert that’s made with real ingredients and is (seriously) so good. French Squirrel uses quality, good-for-you REAL ingredients and 100% unsweetened pure cacao in each of their products, made without soy lecithin, emulsifiers or preservatives.

French Squirrel - Peanut Butter Bateaux au Chocolat Stuffed Dates

Cherry Bombe Women in Food Finalist.

A citrus & bittersweet cocktail that showcases the lively pairing of earthy agave, grapefruit bitters, jicama, lime, hibiscus and desert botanicals

Parch makes non-alcoholic agave spirits and cocktails inspired by the Sonoran Desert and the lush biodiversity it keeps. Each sip offers a complex taste from unique pairings of desert ingredients designed to center your mind and body, serving a social drinking experience like no other.

Witnessing a cultural shift to moderation, Parch sought to create a flavor-first, plant-powered, socially conscious n/a beverages that can appeal to the sober, the curious, and those seeking greater balance in their lives.

Parch Non-Alcoholic Prickly Paloma

Queer-Owned

Cherry Bombe Women in Food Finalist.

The Blissful Blend is Couplet's signature ground coffee blend of Nicaraguan and Peruvian beans. The Nicaraguan beans are sourced directly from the family-run Fincas Mierisch farm, while the Peruvian beans are from San Ignacio.

Queer, woman-owned, and built for everyone, Couplet was created to make great coffee more fun and approachable. They skip the pretentious tasting notes and gatekeeping and get right to the good part - ridiculously delicious coffee you can prepare however the f*ck you like.
Beautiful branding with product sourced ethically from small family farms, it’s hard not to love!

Couplet Coffee - The Blissful Blend

Up & Comers Just Damn Good Finalist.

FFUPs are not a health-food, they're just really good. The snack puffs also come in a variety of fun flavors for the moments when you want to indulge.

This here is a classic flavor. Simple and reliable, this is exactly what a cheese puff should taste like. Nothing artisanal or weird. Just salt, cheese and good times.

Founder Sam Tichnor knows that being radically honest about being not-healthy is contrary to the conventional better-for-you snack trend. It appears we've come full circle and it is once again a subversive gesture to offer a snack puff that is unapologetically NOT a health-food.

FFUPs are craveable snacks that we couldn’t stop eating, and we like how they’re not trying to be something they’re not.

FFUPs - Grocery Store Cheddar

Up & Comers Just Damn Good Finalist.

FFUPs are not a health-food, they're just really good. The snack puffs come in a variety of fun flavors beyond just regular cheddar for the moments when you want to indulge.

The wheel. Fire. The internet. All historic inventions. Semi-Historic Sour Cream & Onion FFUPs aren't quite at that level, but come pretty close.

FFUPs - Semi-Historic Sour Cream & Onion

Up & Comers Just Damn Good Finalist.

FFUPs are not a health-food, they're just really good. The snack puffs come in a variety of fun flavors beyond just regular cheddar for the moments when you want to indulge.

Legally we can not say what this tastes exactly like, but you get the picture. One way ticket to crunch city.

FFUPs - Unambiguous Cinnamon Toast

Up & Comers Just Damn Good Finalist.

FFUPs are not a health-food, they're just really good. The snack puffs come in a variety of fun flavors beyond just regular cheddar for the moments when you want to indulge.

Warning: Extreme flavor. Not for the faint of heart. Recommend chasing with a refreshing cola, pint of milk or an alcohol beer.