The National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show will showcase the 35 recipients of the 2024 Food and Beverage (FABI) Awards.

Each year, the FABI Awards program celebrates groundbreaking products that not only shape the future of food and beverage but also set new standards for innovation and excellence in the industry.

This year, 10 of the FABI Awardees earned the title of FABI Favorites by the judges, underscoring their unmatched influence and visionary contributions to the industry. The National Restaurant Association Show will take place May 18-21, 2024, at McCormick Place in Chicago and brings together more restaurant and hospitality buyers and equipment manufacturers than any other industry event.

“These 35 exceptional products, including the 10 FABI Favorites, have truly captured the essence of innovation at the show, pushing the boundaries of culinary creativity and setting the stage for emerging trends in food and beverage," said Tom Cindric, president of the National Restaurant Association Show. "From AI-generated plant-based formulas to innovative flavor combinations these products showcase the dynamic landscape of cuisine and promise to shape the ongoing evolution of the industry.”

The FABI Awards spotlight the most innovative and forward-thinking flavors of the year, driving trends and satisfying today’s consumer demands for more sustainable and eco-friendly products. Each FABI Award submission was evaluated by an independent panel of judges from across the foodservice industry who represent some of the most well-known brands and organizations, including Wendy’s, Aramark and Pizza Hut Global. Recipients are chosen based on their novel flavors, market uniqueness, appeal to operators, innovative solutions to industry challenges and profit potential.

Introduced at the 2023 Show, the FABI Favorites designation offers special recognition to food and beverage products that excel within an already extraordinary lineup, exemplifying creativity, ingenuity, and the ability to expand menu options industry-wide. These products stood out as the judges' top selections, showcasing unparalleled innovation and culinary excellence. Attendees will have the exclusive opportunity to savor these outstanding products by tasting both FABI Favorites and FABI Awardees at the Connections space, situated within The Culinary Experience, throughout the Show.

This year's FABI Favorites include:

  • ReadyCarved Pork Al Pastor, Grecian Delight | Kronos — ReadyCarved Pork Al Pastor is crafted through vacuum marination, hand stacked on a traditional spit, flame-broiled rotisserie style, and expertly carved off the cone. This fully cooked product offers operators an efficient way to serve genuine Puebla, Mexico, street food.
  • Agua Blanca Shrimp, Atarraya Inc. — Agua Blanca Shrimp uses sustainable, indoor Shrimpbox technology to produce its fresh, never-frozen shrimp.
  • Plant-based Meat Bites, Black Sheep Foods — High in protein and low in saturated fat, these seasoned plant-based bites are easy to use: cook from frozen and apply to dishes across the menu. They are soy-, GMO- and top-nine Allergen free.
  • Prime Roots X Fabrique Délices Pâté, Prime Roots — Prime Roots is a plant-based meat company crafting sustainable deli meat and charcuterie. Prime Roots X Fabrique Délices have teamed up to blend the best of traditional French flavors for this plant-based pâté.

Source: National Restaurant Association