Winners of the 30th annual Canadian Grand Prix awards

Details: 31 May 2023

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Retail Council of Canada (RCC) has announced the winners of the 30th Annual Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards, who were honoured at last night's gala.

A total of 51 esteemed Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards were presented to exceptional companies that introduced outstanding products into the Canadian market in 2022. These winners span a diverse range of businesses, including established retailers, suppliers, boutique shops, and family-owned enterprises from all corners of Canada.

Several companies distinguished themselves this year as multiple-category winners, including METRO, Canadian Tire Corp, Mastermind Toys, Sobeys Inc, Finica Food Specialities Ltd., Pattison Food Group, and The Spice Tailor, demonstrating exceptional innovation and excellence within their respective categories.

In addition, five recipients received special awards for their contributions. The Spice Tailor, for the second consecutive year, secured the Excellence in Ethnic Product award for their Asian Curry Kits. METRO received the All-Canadian trophy for their Irresistible Ice Creams, offering unique flavours such as blueberry and hot chocolate. Canadian Tire Corporation was recognized for Innovation and Originality in developing the PADERNO Signature 10-Piece Stacking Stainless Steel Cookware Set. METRO impressed the judges once again with their Innovative Packaging, featuring a fun and smart Advent Calendar. Lastly, Finica Food Specialties Ltd. received the Overall Consumer Value award for their delightful Sheep’s Milk Cheese, capturing consumers' attention with its captivating lavender notes.

Diane J. Brisebois, president and CEO of RCC, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, "These products have captivated consumers, from snack foods that offer tantalizing flavour exploration to foods that provide essential nutritional supplementation. Equally impressive is the packaging, featuring soothing and contemporary designs that enhance the overall experience. This exceptional lineup of new items reflects a growing alignment between product developers and the voices of consumers. The invaluable feedback provided by the jury over the years has undeniably shaped these remarkable innovations."

RCC's Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards is a highly regarded competition that acknowledges the finest new food and non-food grocery products in the industry. Being recognized as a Canadian Grand Prix Award winner is a transformative milestone for companies, providing unparalleled exposure to key retailers, buyers, and new consumers. Winners of the Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards have the privilege of displaying the esteemed Canadian Grand Prix seal on their products, an endorsement trusted by Canadians for three decades.

Flipp, the presenting sponsor, will feature the winners in their upcoming flyer, showcasing these outstanding products to a wide audience.

A panel of 31 food and grocery industry experts evaluated the products based on innovation, taste, texture, consumer value, and packaging. Each product needed to achieve a minimum overall score of 70 per cent to be selected as a finalist, ensuring a rigorous evaluation process.

As part of the Canadian Grand Prix Award Gala, two individuals received the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix Lifetime Achievement Awards. The recipients were John Pigott, CEO of Club Coffee and Morrison Lamonthe Inc., and Serge Boulanger from METRO.

The complete list of winners:

PRODUCT CATEGORY	COMPANY	PRODUCT NAME
Appliance and Cookware	SodaStream Inc.	SodaStream Art Sparkling Water Maker
Bakery Fresh (Par-Baked)	Bimbo Canada	Dempster’s Zero Zero Bread
Baking Needs and Dried Bakery	Cora	Cora Crepe Mix
Beverages	A. Lassonde Inc.	Simple Drop Enhanced Water Beverage
Condiments & Sauces	Patreats	Infus'd Fruit Gourmet Spread
Confectionery & Shelf Stable Desserts	Purdys Chocolatier	Vegan Hawaiian Black Salt Caramels
Dairy (Milk, Yogurt, Cheese & Spreadables)	Finica Food Specialties Ltd.	Sheeps Milk Cheese
Overall Consumer Value	Finica Food Specialties Ltd.	Sheeps Milk Cheese
Deli Meats and Cheeses	Quality Cheese Inc.	Stracciatella
Desserts, Fresh/Refrigerated or Frozen	Tim Hortons	Tim Hortons Ice Cream
Frozen or Refrigerated Prepared Foods & Entrees	Oggi Foods Inc.	Four Cheese Tortellini Pasta
Fruit, Vegetable & Produce (Fresh/Refrigerated or Frozen)	Arctic Gardens	Roastable Market Harvest
General Merchandise	Carlton Cards Ltd.	Magic Momments Birthday
Health Care - Oral Hygiene	Sunstar Americas Inc.	GUM Dual-Defence Twisted Floss
Health Care - Over the Counter	Johnson & Johnson Inc.	Children’s TYLENOL® Easy Dissolve Powder, 16 Packs
Household Products	Prelam Enterprises Ltd.	EZ Pur Eco Concentrated Laundry Detergent
Meat, Egg & Seafood Fresh/Refrigerated or Frozen	Rossdown Farms & Natural Foods	Marinated Meal Helpers
Pet Needs	The J.M. Smucker Company	Nature’s Recipe Premium Paté Recipes
Shelf Stable Prepared Foods & Entrees	The Spice Tailor	The Spice Tailor Asian Curry Kits
Excellence in Ethnic Products	The Spice Tailor	The Spice Tailor Asian Curry Kits
Snack (Savory)	Naturally Homegrown Foods Ltd.	Hardbite Rugged
Snack (Sweet)	Three Farmers Foods	Roasted Chickpeas
Appliance and Cookware	Canadian Tire Corp.	PADERNO Signature 10-Piece Stacking Stainless Steel Cookware Set
Innovation and Originality Award	Canadian Tire Corp.	PADERNO Signature 10-Piece Stacking Stainless Steel Cookware Set
Baby Care	Mastermind Toys	Mastermind Toys Baby Stacking Wave Puzzle 8 Pieces
Bakery Fresh (Par-Baked)	Metro Inc.	Irresistibles Raisin Loaf
Baking Needs and Dried Bakery	Sobeys Inc.	Compliments Baking Chips
Beverages	Farm Boy Company Inc.	Farm Boy™ Organic Flavoured Sparkling Water
Condiments & Sauces	Pattison Food Group	Only Goodness Plant Based Almond Dip Garlic & Herb
Confectionery & Shelf Stable Desserts	Metro Inc.	Irresistibles Advent Calendar
Innovative Packaging Award	Metro Inc.	Irresistibles Advent Calendar
Dairy (Milk, Yogurt, Cheese & Spreadables)	Metro Inc.	Irresistibles Probiotics Yogurts
Deli Meats and Cheeses	Longo Brothers Fruit Markets Inc.	Longo's Curato Uno Spuntino
Desserts, Fresh/Refrigerated or Frozen	Metro Inc.	Irresistibles Ice Creams
All Canadian Award	Metro Inc.	Irresistibles Ice Creams
Desserts, Fresh/Refrigerated or Frozen	Metro Inc.	Irresistibles Plant-Based Frozen Bars
Frozen or Refrigerated Prepared Foods & Entrees	Sobeys Inc.	Panache French Onion Soup Bites
Fruit, Vegetable & Produce (Fresh/Refrigerated or Frozen)	Pattison Food Group	Only Goodness Smoothie Blend with Dragon Fruit, Pineapple, Mango and Sliced Bananas
General Merchandise	Mastermind Toys	Mastermind Toys DIY Fort Construction Set
Hair Care	Metro Inc.	Personnelle Nature's Secrets Repairing Shampoo
Health Care - Oral Hygiene	Metro Inc.	Personnelle Whitening Mouthwash
Health Care - Over the Counter	Rexall Pharmacy Group ULC	Be Better Whey Protein Concentrate Powder
Home Improvement & Maintenance	Canadian Tire Corp.	Stainless Steel Patio Heater
Household Products	Federated Co-operatives Ltd.	Co-op Gold Multi-Purpose Cleaner
Meat, Egg & Seafood Fresh/Refrigerated or Frozen	Pattison Food Group	Western Family 4 Cheese Breakfast Bites
Paper, Plastic & Foil	Metro Inc.	Selection Eco Compostable Sandwich Bags
Personal Care	Calgary Co-operative Association Ltd.	Cal & Gary's bar soap
Pet Needs	Pet Valu	Performatrin Ultra Freeze-Dried Raw Bites
Shelf Stable Prepared Foods & Entrees	Metro Inc.	Life Smart Plant-Based Sauces
Snack (Savory)	Pattison Food Group	Western Family Spicy All Dressed Flavoured Kettle Cooked Potato Chips
Snack (Sweet)	Longo Brothers Fruit Markets Inc.	Longo's Candied Almonds

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