Pacific Island companies win big at UK Free From Food Awards
Two Pacific-based companies have gained international recognition for their food products at the UK-based Free From Food Awards.
Solomons Gold and Down to Earth have been building their international profile in recent years, including by promoting their products at several UK-based trade fairs, such as the International Food & Drink Event and Speciality and Fine Food Fair.
Both companies benefit from the United Kingdom Trade Partnerships Programme (UKTP), which supports companies from across the Pacific Islands in selling their products in the British market, including by participating in trade fairs.
Following their successful participation in London’s International Food & Drink Event in March, Solomons Gold from the Solomon Islands, won several accolades at the Free From Food Awards, including silver and bronze medals for seven of their vegan chocolate varieties.
Solomons Gold produces handcrafted vegan chocolate in a diverse range of flavours. Their chocolates are known for their absence of allergens, including dairy, gluten, nuts, soy and refined sugar, making them an ideal contender for the Free From Awards.
For over a decade, this family-owned business has operated as a social enterprise, producing some of the world's purest single-origin cacao while contributing to communities and improving living standards across the Solomon Islands. Today, Solomons Gold collaborates with over 90 cocoa farming villages, providing sustainable livelihoods, technical advice and financial support.
Fresh ingredients sourced fairly
Fijian company Down To Earth, maker of the Fiji Fire line of hot sauces, won two silver Free From Awards for their Fiji Fire Original Bongo Chilli Hot Sauce. Down to Earth works closely with local communities to ensure the freshest ingredients, highest product quality and fairest reward end up directly in farmers' hands.
Down to Earth also supports local farmers by providing farm equipment and donated seedlings in return for year-round supply of fresh ingredients.
The Free From Food Awards are an exclusive award scheme dedicated to recognizing excellence and innovation in food ingredients, celebrating products that are safe, high-quality and “free from” preservatives, food dyes, additives and common allergens.
Established in 2008, the Free From Food Awards are renowned within the organic foods industry globally. Consumers are also well aware of what these awards represent, with tens of thousands of people following them on social media platforms.
Award winners, like Solomons Gold and Down to Earth, are promoted across Free From's social platforms and are granted exclusive rights to use the awards’ logo on their winning products. This instantly recognizable and internationally respected mark helps consumers identify safe, quality products.
For these two small companies from the Pacific Islands, the awards are a clear recognition that their products satisfy British consumer tastes, and that there are big opportunities to sell their products to the British market.
