LAS VEGAS, Jan. 21, 2025 ~ Las Vegas, NV - On January 20th, pi00a and its Frozen Miso Eggplant Pizza took home the Grand Prize at the Specialty Food Association's Fancy Face-Off Pitch Competition. The event, hosted by renowned Las Vegas culinary figure Al Mancini, was held at the 49th Winter Fancy Food Show.

Out of over 50 entries, four finalists were chosen to present their new-to-market products to a panel of expert judges and industry professionals in attendance. After careful consideration, pi00a's Melody Stein was declared the winner and awarded a prize package worth over $20,000.

Specialty Food Association president Bill Lynch congratulated Stein on her well-deserved win. "All the Fancy Face-Off finalists were incredible," said Lynch. "Each shared inspiring stories, products, and visions for the future that make our industry so dynamic. This competition reminds us why our industry is where food innovation and trends begin."

Stein expressed her gratitude for the recognition of her product. "This is an amazing feeling to be recognized for our product," she said. "Thank you for everything SFA!"

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In addition to live pitches, judges had the opportunity to sample each product and assign scores based on innovation, ingredient quality, market potential, pitch delivery, and taste. The judging panel included Al Mancini from Neon Feast, Casey Gaston from Whole Foods Market, Brandon Ng from Houlihan Lokey, and James Ren from Thrive Market.

As part of her prize package from the Specialty Food Association, Stein received $10,000 in cash to help grow her business. She also received a range of promotional opportunities including a booth at the 2026 Winter FancyFaire*, a one-year subscription to RangeMe Pro, a one-year membership and credit from Thrive Market, a feature on Startup CPG content platform, a business consulting session with Jack Acree, access to a Natural Products Consulting Seminar & Networking Event, an annual Learning Pass from Emerge CPG, a product photography package from Pola Marketing, and promotion from SFA through a dedicated press release and social media.

The Fancy Face-Off Pitch Competition at the Winter Fancy Food Show is just one example of how the Specialty Food Association supports and celebrates innovation in the specialty food industry. Congratulations to Melody Stein and pi00a on their impressive win!

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