A host of industry talent marked with Sweets & Snacks Expo 2025 accolades
Belle's Gourmet Popcorn gained Best in Show at the Sweets & Snacks awards evening. Pic: Neill Barston
A celebratory vibe kick-started this year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo, as its first evening saw a broad range of companies claim industry honours, including Belle’s Gourmet Popcorn gaining Best in Show, reports Neill Barston.
An eager audience of hundreds assembled for the opening presentation at the Indiana Convention Centre in Indianapolis, which attracted more than 400 entries across its spectrum of 14 honours, with contenders hailing from small independents through to major multi-national firms.
Organised by the National Confectioners Association, the event, hosted by the NCA’s Elise Fennig (below), struck a considerably positive tone for its opening, with the wealth of innovation on display defying wider challenges in the region’s and global markets.
The overall winner from this evening, Belle’s, hailing from Dallas, Texas, impressed judges with its range of flavours that have gained a strong reputation for its small batch production methods that have made the brand a regional favourite. Notably, the business was also named the best salty snack on the night, for its Dubai Chocolate variant.
Other successes on the night included Small Business Innovator: Nomad Snacks Pad Thai Flavored Ready-to-eat Popcorn, Chocolate: Pop & Sol Coconut Flaked White Chocolate Covered Cashews, Gourmet/Premium Confections: Mattigan’s Dubai Style Chocolate Spread, while the Gum & Mints: saw breathROX Popping Breath Mints (below) emerge a winner for its Blue Raspberry.
Meanwhile, in the new Gummy Candy category, Nerds Juicy Gummy Clusters Strawberry Punch gained honours, while Non-Chocolate Candy of the year went to Juicy Drop Gummy Mystery Cube 5oz Original Flavour.
The Novelty/Licensed award was named as Ezee Freezee Freeze-n-Peel Strawberry Pop, Seasonal honours went to Amos Tastysounds JinglePop Graffiti, and Meat Snacks of 2025 went to Bavarian Meats Original Lil’ Landjaeger Individually Wrapped Stick.
For the Savory Snacks segment, Snak Club Ramen flavoured Snack Mix was judged to be a favourite, while Sweet Snacks went to Chunk Nibbles Toffee Sweet & Salty Clusters, and Baked Goods went to Trashy Gourmet Shortbread Cookies with Mini Strawberry Boba from Molly Bz Cookies.
With around 1,000 exhibitors appearing at this year’s event in Indianapolis, including a host of SME companies, as well as key brands including Mars, Mondelez, Hershey, Barry Callebaut, Perfetti Van Melle, Ferrara, Pladis and Lindt to name a few, it’s destined to be an eventful week stateside.
Confectionery Production is on hand in Indianapolis as a media partner for the show and we’ll bring you updates throughout the event, as well as an extended post show review.
“The Most Innovative New Product Awards are a celebration of the creativity and ingenuity that keeps people coming back to the candy and snack aisles,” John Downs, president & CEO of the National Confectioners Association, the host organisation for Sweets & Snacks Expo, said. “Consumers turn to confectionery and snack products to add a little sweet or salty touch to special occasions and everyday moments. This year’s MINPA winners are outstanding examples of the ways in which the confectionery and snack industries are delivering products to meet consumers where they want to be met.”
This year’s entries will be on display the Featured Product Showcase at the Sweets & Snacks Expo, which runs until this Thursday in Indianapolis – with the event’s next destination dates already named as being Las Vegas, between 18-22 May 2026.
