Firefly Kitchens Receives 2012 Good Food Award Gold Medal Honors
Locally made, naturally fermented product recognized among nation’s
leading sustainable food items
Second consecutive year of recognition by Good Food Awards
SEATTLE, WA — January 25, 2012 — Local organic vegetables, special spicing, and a lot of love have produced another standout for Seattle’s Firefly Kitchens. Cortido Sauerkraut, a naturally fermented food, has been selected a 2012 Good Food Award Gold Medal winner. This is the second consecutive year Firefly Kitchens has been honored by the Good Food Awards, with its Ying Yang Carrots selected as a winner in 2011.
The Good Food Awards is a not-for-profit project organized by Seedling Projects in collaboration with a broad community of food producers, chefs, food writers and passionate food-lovers. The Good Food Award winners were selected from more than 900 nationwide entries in eight categories including beer, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, coffee, pickles, preserves, and spirits.
Started in 2010, Firefly Kitchens has quickly built a strong following. Unlike other pickled or preserved products, all Firefly Kitchens’ foods are completely raw and naturally preserved without heat or preservatives or vinegars. The colorful jars are packed full of natural enzymes and probiotics which is what makes the products so healthful.
“Our foods are made the old fashioned way, with organic ingredients and a slowed-down production time,” said Julie O’Brien, co-owner of Firefly Kitchens. “The result is a delicious product that is very dense in nutrients. I am so happy when I hear customers share how great they feel when they incorporate our food into their daily lives.”
“It’s rewarding to be recognized for making the extra effort to source our raw ingredients from farms and suppliers who are like minded, care about their own workers and affect they are having on the local land and economy,” says co-owner, Richard Climenhage. “There are so many awards that celebrate the best tasting products, but this one rewards actions that carry from the farm to the time a consumer pulls it out of their fridge and digs in.”
“It is fascinating to see such different companies united in the values of sustainability and social responsibility and producing incredibly delicious food,” said Sarah Weiner, Director of Good Food Awards. “All around the country these small and medium size businesses are creating good jobs for their community and supporting other local businesses, from dairies to sustainable farmers to local graphic designers.”
About Firefly Kitchens’ Cortido Kraut
Cortido is an El Salvador inspired version of sauerkraut, with all-natural ingredients including organic green cabbage, organic onions, organic carrots, organic jalapenos, Celtic sea salt, organic oregano and organic red chili peppers. From the point it was introduced into Firefly Kitchens product line, it quickly earned enthusiastic reviews for its multifaceted flavor and versatile appeal. Cortido Kraut is loaded with digestive enzymes that aid in the efficient absorption of essential vitamins and minerals. The small-scale fermentation process creates omega-3 fatty acids to help boost the immune system and detoxify the body. Since they are produced without heat, all Firefly’s products are high in acetylcholine, a compound known to regulate the bowels, calm the nervous system, improve sleep patterns and lower blood pressure
About Firefly Kitchens
Co-owners Julie O’Brien and Richard Climenhage joined forces to develop recipes and founded Firefly Kitchens in January 2010. Before Firefly Kitchens came to fruition, Richard worked in the high-tech industry while Julie ran her own business in marketing and branding. Both had a long-time passion for food and nutrition, but an interest in fermented food was sparked during Julie’s nutritional therapy training and Richard’s work at Three Stone Hearth in Berkeley, CA, which emphasized sustainability, community, and health values and where cooking focused on maximizing digestibility and nutrient absorption.
Firefly Kitchens is selling its products in Whole Foods Market, PCC Natural Markets, Central Co-op and other stores and restaurants including the local Thrive Restaurant and Volunteer Park Café. Their products also have a strong presence at local Farmer’s Markets. Last year’s winning Yin Yang carrots are a huge hit while Firefly Kimchi remains the most popular since the beginning. Currently they have 7 regular products in addition to seasonal batches, such as a Holiday Kraut featuring cranberries, orange and ginger which is available only through farmers markets and Full Circle’s CSA.
Facts about Firefly Kitchens:
- When the seasons permit, Firefly Kitchens buys its cabbage, carrots, onions, beets, peppers and garlic from organic farms in the Pacific Northwest.
- We literally have a “full circle” partnership with Full Circle. After purchasing and fermenting cabbage from their Carnation Farm, the product returns to the Full Circle distribution center to be packed in many of the over 8000 weekly organic produce home deliveries throughout the PNW including Alaska.
- Speaking of a full circle, all of Firefly Kitchens’ Organic vegetable scraps are picked up by Samish Bay Cheese to be fed to their pigs.
- With a small, part-time staff, Firefly Kitchens relies on volunteers help for tasks ranging from packing jars of kraut to shredding cabbage or peeling ginger and garlic. Every time someone comes to volunteer, they go home with a jar of their favorite ferment.
- After getting started using a catering kitchen in the evening hours, Firefly built out a kitchen in industrial Ballard and is now sharing their space with other local producers of great food.
About the Good Food Awards
The Good Food Awards celebrate the kind of food we all want to eat: tasty, authentic, and responsible. Now, in its second year, awards will be given to winners in eight categories: beer, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, coffee, pickles, preserves and spirits. The Good Food Awards Seal, found on winning products, assures consumers they have found something exceptionally delicious that also supports sustainability and social good. The Good Food Awards Gold Seal designates winning products as certified organic and sustainably produced.
The winners of the 2012 Good Food Awards were announced at a ceremony at the San Francisco Ferry Building on January 13, 2012.
Press Release: 2012 Good Food Awards Finalists: http://www.goodfoodawards.org/good-foodawards-finalists-2012/
For more information contact:
Julie O’Brien
Firefly Kitchens