Top 20 finalists named in the statewide MI New Favorite Snack Competition

The top 20 finalists have been named in the statewide MI New Favorite Snack Competition.

The 20 finalists – from both the Upper and Lower Peninsulas – will compete for more than $75,000 in cash prizes at the McMorran Place Plaza in downtown Port Huron, Michigan, on Saturday, September 9. The public is invited to attend.

"We had some excellent entries this year, and our team had some very spirited discussions regarding the finalist selection…it was NOT easy," Jon Holden, vice president of sales and marketing at All Star Services, a break room services company based in Port Huron, and a competition partner, said in the announcement. "We are very excited about sharing the 20 finalists with our judges in September. They will have some very difficult decisions to make."

The MI New Favorite Snack Competition, now in its second year, aims to provide capital to a few micro-businesses, consisting of 10 or fewer employees, based in Michigan. In both 2022 and 2023, the competition attracted 50 entries from both peninsulas of Michigan. In 2023, the grand prize winner will again receive both a cash prize and a distribution agreement with All Star Services.

The 2023 finalists were broken up into four different snack categories:

Sweet Sensations:

Popside Candy (Cotton Candy Puffs) of Whitmore Lake

Dave’s Sweet Tooth Toffee (Maple Bourbon Pecan Toffee) of Harrison Township

What’s the Dill (Kool Aid Pickles) of Detroit

Chippers 906 (Flavored Waffle Cone Chips) of Marquette

Royal-T Cakery (Build Your Own Cannoli Kit) of Port Huron

Confectionary Creations:

Mae Bell Pound Cakes (Lemon Pound Cake) of Westland

Love Muffins (Carrot Cake Muffin) of Kalamazoo

Wani Cakes (Berry Summer Omich) of Dearborn

MJ Bakes (Cookies n’ Cream Cookie) of Fort Gratiot

Sweet Encounter Bakery (Salted Caramel Cupcake in a Jar) of Lansing

Mindful Munchies:

Nakee & Co. (Cacao Peanut Butter Nakee Butter) of Detroit

Ferry Farms (Hardwood Smoked Beef Stick) of Litchfield

Live Crispy (Blueberry Pineapple Fruit Crisp) of Ferndale

Emme’s Plantain Chips (Mango Spice Plantain Chips) of Wyoming

Yolk Baking Company (Hello Granola) of Sterling Heights

Crunchy Cravings:

Big Skinny’s (Smoked Pretzels) of Hesperia

Papa’s Peanut Brittle (Papa’s Original Peanut Brittle) of Kalamazoo

OTB Enterprises (Apple Cinnamon Chunk Nibbles) of Troy

Fry Daddy’s Brand (Gluten Free Party Mix) of Walker

Sherman’s Tennessee Hot Crackers (Sherman’s Original Tennessee Hot Crackers) of St. Clair Shores

The MI New Favorite Snack Competition is produced by sponsors and community partners:

Presenting Sponsor:

Community Foundation of St. Clair County

Platinum Sponsor:

McLaren Port Huron

Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

Eastern Michigan Bank

Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling

Community Partners:

All Star Services

Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce

City of Port Huron