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Connecticut was well-represented in The Big E’s first annual FoodiE Awards this year, as Soulfully Vegan and The Place 2 Be each took home honors for their creations. Both were first-time vendors at New England’s biggest fair, which wrapped its 17-day run on Oct. 2.
Soulfully Vegan, a Middletown-based food truck run by married couple Allison and Calvin Vaughan, earned the Best New Savory Snack award for its Spicy PB&J burger, featuring a plant-based patty, peanut butter, jelly and jalapeños.
“We’re here for the vegans, the non vegans, the vegetarians, the weekend vegans; whatever you subscribe to, we’ve got you!” Soulfully Vegan posted on Facebook Tuesday. “Our Spicy PB&J is officially Award Winning!”
The Place 2 Be, an all-day brunch concept with locations in Hartford, West Hartford and Springfield, won Best New Sweet Treat for its Morning Rooster milkshake, a maple vanilla milkshake topped with fried chicken and waffles.
“We are so thrilled to receive The Best New Sweet Treat The Big E foodiE award for our Morning Rooster Milkshake!” The Place 2 Be posted Sept. 22. “This means so much to our team, thank you to everyone who has come by this past week to shake it with us.”
The awards were chosen by a panel of judges, said Keri Nichols, the Big E’s public relations and media coordinator, including local reporter Abby Taylor, West Springfield mayor Will Reichelt and Daymon “Daym Drops” Patterson, YouTube food reviewer turned Netflix star (and Emmy nominee). Patterson grew up in Stratford and now lives in New Britain.
More than 1.6 million visitors attended the fair this year, held from Sept. 16 to Oct. 2, Big E organizers announced Sunday. The fair also set an all-time single day attendance record on Sept. 24, with 177,789 visitors.