KeHE Names On Trend Award Winners

Brands recognized during wholesale food distributor's virtual Holiday Trade Show

6/28/2021

KeHE’s 2021 Holiday Trade Show virtual event wrapped up by revealing 17 On Trend winners and a Next Generation Innovation Faceoff winner.

KeHE Distributors LLC recently selected 17 On Trend Award Winners during the company's 2021 Holiday Trade Show.

The virtual event took place June 10-18 and showcased innovation and trends for the 2021 holiday season while offering fan-favorite items for purchase. More than 570 exhibiting suppliers and thousands of buyers were brought together using the company’s proprietary virtual platform, KeHE Connect.

During the show, KeHE selected its On Trend Award Winners. The below winners were selected out of a pool of 100-plus submissions for innovation, purpose, ingredients and salability:

Best of Show: Nuttzo
Baking & Desserts: Enlightened
Bars & Breakfast: Nature’s Baker
Beverage: Fever Tree
Condiment: Curtice Brothers
Confection: Endangered Species
Diversity: B.Nutty
Fresh: You Are Loved Foods
Frozen: Cappellos
HBC & Personal Care: Grandpas Soap Co.
Pet: Caboo
Holiday Cheer: Nutpods
Refrigerated & Dairy: Laird Superfood
Mission-Based Brand: Small Axe Peppers
Snack Food: Vegan Rob’s
Pasta, Rice & Grains: Chickapea
VMS: Goli Nutrition

“We are excited to honor these well-deserving brands for driving innovation within our industry,” said Rachelle Radcliffe, director of brand development at KeHE. “We believe that these On Trend Award Winners are going to be extremely influential in bringing innovation to the marketplace this upcoming holiday season.”

The show also named KeHE's Next Generation Innovation Faceoff winner, Cocacao, which won a spot in the KeHe's Elevate program. Elevate provides brands with a platform for growth, allowing them to flourish and reach more shelves nationwide. KeHE’s category management team acts as advisors, educates brands on the evolving landscape, and propels sales and points of distribution through the program.

With the consecutive success of its virtual and in-person shows, KeHE said that it will host its first hybrid event at the 2022 KeHE Summer Show in February 2022.

Based in Naperville, Ill., KeHE serves more than 30,000 natural food stores, chain and independent grocery stores, e-commerce retailers, and other specialty product retailers throughout North America. The employee-owned B Corporation has more than 6,000 employees.