MIAMI — At its annual Midwinter Executive Conference, the Food Marketing Institute announced the winners of the FMI Foundation’s Gold Plate Awards, which recognize top retail participants in National Family Meals Month.
In 2018, the National Family Meals Month campaign experienced a 20 percent increase in retailer participation; a 40 percent increase in supplier participation; and a 37 percent increase in community collaborator participation.
The winners are:
Gold Plate Award Category: Retailer 1 – 49 stores
Winner: Festival Foods
Program: Festival Family Meals: Kid-Approved Foods
Honorable Mention: Martin’s Super Markets
Program: The Flavorful Four
Gold Plate Award Category: Retailer 50 – 199 stores
Winner: GIANT Food Stores
Program: Power of One More Family Meal
Honorable Mention: Tops Markets, LLC
Program: Raising Our Mitt to Commit! #FamilyMealsMonth
Honorable Mention: Coborn’s, Inc.
Program: Healthy For Good™ Family Meals
Gold Plate Award Category: Retailer 200+ stores
Winner: Wakefern Food Corporation
Program: Family Meals Month at ShopRite
Winner: Hy-Vee, Inc.
Program: Hy-Vee, Inc.’s National Family Meals Month Campaign
Honorable Mention: Albertsons Companies
Program: Kid-Approved Meals for the Whole Family
Gold Plate Award Category: Supplier
Winner: Kellogg Company
Program: Family Meals for Healthier, More Successful, Safer Kids!
Honorable Mention: The Kraft Heinz Company
Program: Kraft Heinz Celebrates Family Meals Month
Gold Plate Award Category: Community Collaborator
Winner: Produce for Better Health Foundation
Program: Fruits and Veggies—More Matters Month: A Focus on Family Meals
“It is truly extraordinary to realize that we only started this family meals initiative four years ago and that Nielsen data shows more than a quarter of American shoppers are familiar with the movement,” says Sue Borra executive director of The FMI Foundation. “This 115 percent increase in awareness since last year alone is a result of the creative work of tonight’s award-winners – as well as the more than 230 companies who joined the family meals movement since its inception. Even more exciting is that we are seeing these inspiring efforts extend the messaging about the importance of family meals throughout the year, not just in September.”