Chukar Cherries in the Final Running for 2023 Good Food Awards

Chukar Cherries’ Organic Rainier Cherries have moved on to the finals in the prestigious 2023 Good Food Awards. Hosted by the Good Food Foundation, the awards are based on both quality and sustainability. Organically grown by Inland Northwest farmers and dried on-site in Prosser—Chukar’s Organic Rainiers excel on both accounts.

2023 marks the 13th year of the Good Food Awards. Each year, judges evaluate over 2000 entries via blind tasting. Fifteen winners are chosen in each specialty food category—showcasing the best sustainably-produced foods available in the USA. In 2022, Chukar’s Organic Chocolate Tart Cherries made it into the finals in the chocolate category. This year, winners will be announced in April at the Good Food Awards Ceremony in Portland, Oregon.

Organic Rainier Cherries have been a top seller since Chukar launched their Certified Organic product line in 2013. Located in the heart of Washington cherry country—Chukar sources their cherries locally and dries them without added sugar, preservatives, or sulfites using a natural process the company pioneered in the 1980’s on the family cherry orchard. To make Chukar’s Rainier cherries even more exceptional, the original Rainier tree grows just 5 miles from Chukar’s headquarters at the Washington State University Irrigated Agriculture Research & Extension Center. Chukar’s Organic Rainier Cherries are USDA Certified Organic, Certified KOF-K Kosher, and contain only one ingredient—Washington cherries.

According to Kathleen Young, longtime Director of Operations at Chukar Cherries, quality is paramount: “the cherries are taste tested by our quality control personnel to ensure they meet our ‘gold standard’ before packing. We measure brix and size in the orchard before picking and on arrival at Chukar before processing. Cherries are chilled, rinsed, sorted, pitted, and dried within days of picking. We want customers to know that every time they purchase Organic Rainier Cherries, they will receive the same quality and flavor.”

Chukar Cherries is also a regional leader in sustainability initiatives including local sourcing, biodegradable packaging, and waste reduction. For example, Chukar’s catalogs and brochures are printed on Forest Stewardship Council Certified Paper, much of their packaging is plant-based, retail bags are made from OceanPoly® (which contains a minimum of 25% plastic recovered from coastal pollution areas), and the company’s UPS packages ship Certified Carbon Neutral.

Chukar’s Organic Rainier Cherries can be purchased at their flagship store and factory headquarters in Prosser, at their store in the center of Seattle’s Pike Place Market, or at chukar.com.