Serious Disappointment

Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2010 15:49:02 -0700
Subject: Good Food Awards Entry Notification


Dear Aimee,

Many thanks for your interest in participating in the Good Food Awards. In its inaugural year, the Good Food Awards will honor the people behind tasty, authentic, and responsibly produced foods. We regret to inform you that due to a miscommunication with our cheese committee chairs, the acceptance letter that you received about your eligibility for the Oct. 10 blind tasting was sent to you in error. Upon further review of your application, the committee has decided that your cheese will not be eligible for this year's competition. Despite your commendable production methods, we are not accepting entries from homestead operations that are not "sale ready".

Please accept our very sincere apologies for the mix-up. We are aware that there are many challenges to overcome in creating a commercially viable product that also meets the sustainability criteria set forth by the Good Food Awards. Nevertheless, we applaud your efforts, wish you the best of luck as you grow and overcome these challenges, and hope that you consider entering next year's competition.

If you have already paid the $10 transaction fee per submission, then we will refund the full amount to your paypal account. You will receive a confirmation email from paypal followed by a full reimbursement within a coupe of days. If you paid for your submissions with a check, we will return your voided check to you shortly.

Thank you again for your submission. Please contact us at info@goodfoodawards.org or call the office at (415) xxx-xxxx if you have any questions or concerns.

With great appreciation,

All of us at the Good Food Awards

My Reply:

Dear Xxxxx -

What a shame - I've already told all my friends.

I read your site carefully and did not see any requirement that entrants be commercial operations - you might want to rectify that in the future. Of course I understand that my product does not fit your criteria and cannot be included. Since I am not trying to create a legal business, simply to follow my personal passion, I doubt I will ever be eligible for inclusion. More's the pity - I doubt many of your panelists ever get the chance to taste a product such as mine. I am sure your cheese panel could have a lively debate on the subject of the law as it pertains to raw milk cheeses.

Should you ever decide to allow the inclusion of non-commercial products, please let me know. I would be delighted to provide samples of my "Smokin' Goat Chilpotle Cheddar" or my "Chevre Chevrere" for consideration any old time at all. There's no doubt in my mind that my cheese would stand on its own merits.

I hope your inaugural event is a great success. Your goal is laudable and I wish you all the best in advancing it. Enjoy yourselves as you taste the best that America's small producers have to offer.

Sincerely,

Aimee Day