The National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, the foodservice industry's premier event, is announcing the 42 recipients of the 2023 Food and Beverage (FABI) Awards. Each year, the FABI Awards program celebrates industry-altering products that shape what's new and next for the future of food and beverage. New this year, eight of the FABI awardees have been selected by the judges as FABI Favorites, the most groundbreaking and influential of the year. The National Restaurant Association Show brings together more restaurant and hospitality buyers and equipment manufacturers than any other industry event and will be held May 20–23, 2023, at McCormick Place in Chicago.

"This year is truly an exceptional year for food and beverage originality as evidenced by a record-breaking 42 FABI Awardees," said Tom Cindric, president of Winsight Exhibitions. "These 42 products are breaking new barriers in flavor, taste, creativity and packaging and are shaping the future of food and beverage. As the world's largest and most-trusted foodservice event, the National Restaurant Association Show continues to be where the next big industry trends are born and serves as a launching pad for companies to showcase new products."

The FABI Awards represent the year's most forward-thinking and creative new tastes that are driving trends, delighting customers and delivering expanded menu offerings across the industry focused on increasing profitability. Each FABI Award submission was evaluated by an independent panel of judges from across the foodservice industry who represent some of the most well-known brands and organizations. Recipients were selected for their exciting new tastes, uniqueness in the market, appeal to the operator community, creative approach to operator challenges, or introduction of new opportunities and profit potential. 

This year, the prestigious FABI Awards program has evolved with the introduction of FABI Favorites. The new designation provides special recognition for the judges' top FABI Award recipients, which stood out among an already exceptional lineup of items exemplifying creativity, ingenuity and the ability to expand menu options industry-wide. Attendees will have the opportunity to taste FABI Favorites and FABI awardees at the new Connections space (located in The Culinary Experience) throughout the show.

"The 2023 FABI awardees are prime examples of the delicious creativity and innovation that drives the industry forward," said Chef Marion Gibson, director of Culinary Innovation at Aramark and FABI judge. "I'm honored to have been part of the selection process and excited for the foodservice community to get a taste of the judges' top picks, with the new FABI Favorites category."

FABI favorites

• Brown Sugar Instant Boba Kit — Boba Bam
• Tuna Filet, Plant-Based — Current Foods
• 16-ounce Non-Stick Cooking Spray — La Tourangelle
• V'DGZ Plant and Vegetable Shareables - Corn R'bz — McCain Foods
• Classic Cutlet — Meati  
• Nounós Greek Yogurt — Nounos Creamery LLC
• Spring in a Bottle — Wölffer Estate Vineyard
• Yo Plant-Based Sunny-Side Up Egg — Yo Foods Inc.

FABI awardees

• Mongolian Plant-Based Steak — Alchemeat                  
• Plant-Based Pepperoni — Before the Butcher
• Beyond Steak — Beyond Meat
• Briette — Champignon North America Inc.
• Simply Mixology — The Coca-Cola Co.
• Italian 4 Cheeze Style Blend Shreds — Daiya Foods Inc.
• Equii High Protein Bake Mix — Equii Foods  
• HealthSavor Organic Miso Mustard — Great Eastern Sun
• Impossible Fully Cooked Burger Patty — Impossible Foods      
• Mini Mashers — McCain Foods
• unsweetened barista milk — Milkadamia
• Pourable Plant Milk Mozzarella — Miyoko's Creamery
• Vegan Boneless Chicken Wings — Myrtle Greens
• Vegan Kung Pao Chicken Steamed Dumplings — Myrtle Greens
• Plantspired Korean BBQ Steak — Nasoya          
• Bakeable Cajun Breaded Plant-Based New Wave Shrimp — New Wave Foods
• Oatly Soft Serve — Oatly
• Grill House Burger — Ocean Beauty Seafoods
• Cold Brew with Chocolate Liqueur — Organic Mixology
• Regal Harvest Smoked Basmati Rice — Pari Foods Inc.
• Cream Cheese Spread — Perfect Day Inc.
• Sabatino Tartufi Truffle & Honey — Sabatino Truffles
• No-Soy Sauce — Sempio Foods Co.
• Organic Gochujang — Sempio Foods Co.
• Premium Mason Jar Desserts — Taste It Presents
• Grab & Go Blueberry Parfait Popper Hyper-Chilled Fresh in Yogurt & Granola / 5-ounce Pouch — Tru Fru LLC
• Grab & Go Raspberry Parfait Popper Hyper-Chilled Fresh in Yogurt & Granola / 5-ounce Pouch — Tru Fru LLC
• Grab & Go Strawberry Parfait Popper Hyper-Chilled Fresh in Yogurt & Granola / 5-ounce Pouch — Tru Fru LLC
• Hillshire Farm Fully Cooked Carved Pork Belly — Tyson Foods Inc.
• Plant-based Korean BBQ — Unlimeat
• 2-ounce Frittatas — Veggies Made Great
• B'Lure Butterfly Pea Flower Extract — Wild Hibiscus Flower Co.
• Cutting Vedge Veggie Forward Meatballs — World Finer Foods
• Yo Plant-Based Poached Egg — Yo Foods Inc.                       

A full description of the 2023 FABI awardees can be found here.

All FABI awardees will be acknowledged throughout the show floor with prominent signage and featured in demos at The Culinary Experience at the show and in tastings held at the new Connections space. Sessions and tastings include:

• F&B Products You Need to Know: Judge-Selected FABI Favorites (The Culinary Experience — Lakeside Level 3 — 10448)
  • Saturday, May 20 at 3 p.m.
  • Monday, May 22 at 3:15 p.m.
• FABI Favorites Tasting (Connections — Lakeside Level 3 — 10148)
  • Saturday, May 20 at 3:45 p.m.
  • Monday, May 22 at 4 p.m.
• FABI Awardees Tasting (Connections — Lakeside Level 3 — 10148)
  • Sunday, May 21 at 2:30 p.m.
  • Monday, May 22 at 1 p.m

For more information and to register, visit nationalrestaurantshow.com and connect with the show online on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.

The National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show is owned and operated by Winsight LLC in partnership with the National Restaurant Association.

Source: Winsight LLC