Natural, Bold and Yummy: 6 Colorado Products Grab National Awards

Colorado is known among the biz as the epicenter of the natural products industry.

So, naturally, when the industry gathers and awards the coolest new products coming to market with a coveted NEXTY Award, Colorado companies have a good showing.

This year was no different.

The natural products industry gathered in California recently for the annual Natural Products Expo West, an annual trade show produced by Boulder, Colorado-based New Hope Network. It is there that the company bestows the awards.

For the Expo West 2024 edition, there were 35 categories and 35 winning products ultimately name what’s next in natural.

We’re talking about products ranging from shampoos in earth-friendly packaging to nut-based cheeses to plant-based “fish” to burrata pizzas.

Some of my faves that stood out:

Excite My Calm x Focus Journey Wellness Gummies. Because. Mushrooms. Lion’s mane and Reishi. And the amazing adaptogen ashwagandha. Who doesn’t need some calm in a bottle in this anxiety-ridden world? This won the NEXTY in the “supplement for the mind” category.

Macalat Sweet Dark Chocolate. Because. Well. More mushrooms to reduce chocolate-eating guilt. “Macalat has harnessed the power of mushroom mycelium flavor modulation to create a new category of chocolate: Sweet Dark Chocolate,” the award judges wrote. “The special mixture of mushroom mycelium and small amounts of monk fruit and erythritol mean the chocolate tastes sweet, providing the health benefits of dark chocolate without any sugar. The magic of mushroom mycelium flavor modulation makes this new category possible.” This bar won the NEXTY for special diet food. But who couldn’t use chocolate and less sugar these days?

Minor Figures Barista Chai Concentrate. First, if you haven’t tried Minor Figures products, where ya been? Next, the company is a Certified B Corp (meaning it does business for good for people and planet) as it focuses on carbon neutrality, invests in biodiversity restoration and supports communities. Plus, this product itself is a creamy-style chai like you get at your favorite coffee or tea bar.

Arya Golden Curry Roti from Arya International. Vegetarian Indian flatbread. Need I say more? OK, sure, this has all the good stuff (whole grains, plant-based, herby). And the company is focused on growing women in the workforce. Yum. And yay for them.

Colorado has a lot to be proud of in the showing, with some of the state's largest natural consumer packaged goods manufacturers still earning accolades for innovation. And even more so for some of the small entrepreneurial brands that do Colorado proud with their NEXTY Awards nominations and wins.

Winning Natural Food and Supplement Companies from Colorado

Representin’ our great state are these Colorado-based food and supplement brands that won NEXTY Awards accolades for their new natural products.

Lentiful

Lentiful’s latest product won the PlantParty! NEXTY with its Homestyle Chili Instant Lentils. Lenitful created a line of instant lentil products ready to eat on the go. Think of those handy soup or oatmeal cups. This is a just-add-water chili. What could be better for Colorado and cool camping evenings, or, well, just keeping stocked in the desk drawer for a quick lunch?

Sidenote fun: The Bacon family founded this plant-based product company in Broomfield, Colorado.

Cappello’s

This grain-free product maker based in Boulder, Colorado, won in, of course, the Grain-Free Product category. Don’t be fooled by the fact that they produce pasta, pizza and cookie dough without flour. You’ll never miss it. Now they have buttermilk biscuits. Biscuits. That’s the 2024 winner. And I for one can’t wait to find these on the shelf at a Colorado natural products store.

HoochBooch

I’m not in on the kombucha craze. But there’s no denying Coloradans love their buch. And HoochBooch packs punch, being a hard kombucha company, meaning its ferments pack an extra alcohol volume. Catch the buzz in cans or check out HoochBooch’s speak-easy-inspired taproom, Blind Tiger at 3040 Blake Street, No. 131, in Denver. Or take the next step in trendy beverages – functional hydration. That’s what they are winning for here in the NEXTY Beverage category with its Better Buzz Brands company and Corpse Reviver line, botanical bevs with electrolytes inspired by the 1920s cocktail classic by the same name.

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Grüvi!

Grüvi’s Sangria received a finalist position in the Adult Non-Alcoholic Beverage category. You read that right, non-alcoholic. Gruvi has grown from its Denver home with the globally hot booze-free movement.

Rudi’s Rocky Mountain Bakery

If you have ever checked out gluten-free products, you know the Rudi’s brand. Did you know it is a Boulder, Colorado-based food company? Now you do. And its new breakfast sandwich with sausage took a NEXTY finalist spot in the Gluten Free Product category.

Quicksilver Scientific

The One Mitochondrial Elixir occupies a finalist position in the Supplement Trailblazer category of the NEXTY Awards. If you haven’t heard the word “mitochondria” since middle school science class, take notice: it’s on the lips of every health influencer these days or will be. The Louisville, Colorado-based company simply is a supplement trailblazer across the board. They have a “lobby store” too at 1960 Cherry St. in Louisville.