Bellevue Teacher’s Workplace Snack Wins Top Food Industry Award

May 15, 2017 1:30 am

A Bellevue teacher’s beverage has won a national award for food products.

OneFarStar’s new product Millie’s Delight Pho Sipping Broth has won the sofi Gold Award for Outstanding Hot Beverage in the Specialty Food Association’s 2017 sofi™ Awards competition.

OneFarStar was founded by LLance Kezner and Lori Peha Kezner in 2009 and is located in Bellevue. The Millie’s Sipping Broth product line was created in 2014 by Lori, who is a teacher and needed a quick, healthier and satisfying snack option between classes at school.

This savory beverage is made by putting it’s tea/broth bag into a mug of hot water to steep, similar to the traditional French method (boquet garni) of making a soup broth with vegetables, herbs and spices.

OneFarStar is planning to make Millie’s Sipping Broth available in over 250 retail and coffee shop locations by the end of the year.

A sofi is the top honor in the $127 billion specialty food industry and will be presented in New York at the Summer Fancy Food Show in June. “sofi” stands for Specialty Outstanding Food Innovation and represents the best of the best from members of the Specialty Food Association.

Millie’s Delight Pho Sipping Broth was selected by a national panel of 62 specialty food experts out of 3,000 entries across 39 categories. Every entry is carefully assessed by passionate and knowledgeable food professionals including chefs, culinary experts, academics, food writers, and category buyers. Products are judged on taste, including flavor, appearance, texture and aroma, as well as ingredient quality.

“We are honored that Millie’s Delight Pho Sipping Broth has won this coveted sofi Award,” says LLance Kezner, director of OneFarStar, LLC. “It has taken a lot of hard work and persistence to take our idea from concept to award winning recognition. It shows that the industry is ready for this new category of hot savory beverages.”

Millie’s Sipping Broth is found in select specialty food stores, espresso stands and online at SippingBroth.com.

“A sofi means a product, and the people behind it, have arrived,” says Phil Kafarakis, president, Specialty Food Association. “This year’s winners represent a devotion to excellence and innovation in specialty food that continues to fuel our industry, excite consumers and expand retail offerings around the world.”