ARLINGTON, VA – The FMI Foundation on Tuesday announced the winners of its the 2020 Gold Plate Awards, which are given to highlight outstanding food industry programs that promote family meals.

The award recipients were recognized during the foundation’s first-ever Supper Bowl — a family meals cooking competition being held in conjunction with the FMI Midwinter Executive Conference, where the Supper Bowl Champion was also announced live.

“The Gold Plate Awards and Supper Bowl competition both highlight the outstanding work the food industry is doing as part of the Family Meals Movement,” FMI Foundation executive director David Fikes said. “Family meals help us stay strong by boosting fruit and vegetable consumption and connectiveness, which support overall personal health. The food industry continues to provide shoppers creative and easy meal solutions as families face new shopping and meal habits brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

2020 Gold Plate Award Recipients

The FMI Foundation Gold Plate Awards highlight outstanding programs implemented by the food industry that help families stay strong with family meals. Details about each program are available at www.FMI.org/GoldPlateAwards. This year’s recipients include:

• Category A (retailers with 1 to 49 stores): Coborn’s, Inc., “Kids Cook at Home for National Family Meals Month!” program.
• Category B (retailers with 50 – 199 stores): SpartanNash Co., “Family Meals at Home” program.
• Category C (retailers with 200 or more stores): Wakefern Food Corp., “Just Add Family” program.
• Food Manufacturer Category: Campbell Soup Co., “Campbell Helps Families Stay Strong with Family Meals” program.
• Community Collaborator Category: National Pork Board and the U.S. Dry Pea and Lentil Council, “Powerful Pairings” program.
• Rising Star Category: The Grocery Gal, “The Grocery Gal Presents Family Meals Month,” social media campaign.

The FMI Foundation also recognized winners in a special “COVID-19 Heroes Category,” which was created to recognize charitable programs that help all families share meals together. Hy-Vee Inc. was honored for its 2020 National Family Meals Month campaign, which was built on the theme of “coming together.” And GIANT Co. was honored for its “For Today’s Table” campaign.

The FMI Foundation also recognized two organizations — Produce for Better Health and Common Threads — for their ongoing partnership in the Family Meals Movement.

First-Ever Supper Bowl Champion

The Supper Bowl, a fundraising program supporting the FMI Foundation, celebrates the growth of the Family Meals Movement and involves retailers and suppliers competing for the title of “Best Family Meal.” The live, online Supper Bowl event on Tuesday featured food industry chefs creating the finalist’s recipes with commentary from Chef Robert Irvine and live voting by an online audience.

Hy-Vee took the prize as the first-ever Supper Bowl Champion for a family meals recipe of stuffed pork chops with a Brussels sprouts side and apple pie rosettes.