In recent years the proliferation of vegan food options, especially vegan baked goods, has really skyrocketed, and we’re so pleased about that. More options mean more people exposed to the vegan lifestyle in a positive way and more possibilities for omnivores to experience how excellent vegan food can be. But, all those options do make it harder for a small company like ours to get recognized, even if our products are premium-quality and better than anything else on the market. So, we hope you’ll vote for us in all three categories of the 2011 Veggie Awards and give some love to the little guy (or gal as it may be)!

Just in case you need an extra incentive, voting gets you automatically entered to win some really awesome prizes including a vegan vacation and a year’s supply of vegan ice cream! Hurry, polls close August 31st!

After those 10 finalists have been chosen, Allison will sit down with our panel of celebrity judges to choose the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place designs. Who are these celebrity judges, you ask? I’m here to tell you… we are so grateful to the following talented and dynamic individuals for helping us with this contest! In case you’ve been wondering about them, here’s a little bit about each of our amazing all-star judges:

Colleen Holland, one of the masterminds at VegNews Magazine, is an expert in marketing and brand-building who also studied at the Natural Gourmet Institute. She loves our chocolate almond toffee and vanilla chai fudge.

Gene Baur, co-founder and president of Farm Sanctuary, grew up in Hollywood and worked in commercials for McDonald’s and other fast food restaurants before going vegan in 1985 and beginning his true calling campaigning for the rights of farm animals.

Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart, the goddess behind Vaute Couture, backs up her eye for design with a background in activism. She has been vegetarian since age 10, and vegan since she was 17, when she helped push a bill into law for dissection alternatives in Illinois schools.

Nathan Runkle, founder and executive director of Mercy for Animals, has been named one of the “25 Most Fascinating Vegetarians” and one of the country’s “Top 20 Activists Under 30 Years Old.” In 2009 he became the youngest person ever inducted into the U.S. Animal Rights Hall of Fame.

Glamazon Chloé Jo Davis blogs at GirlieGirlArmy.com and loves our “orgasmic fudge and brownies.” She’s the sexist eco-goddess, vegan fashion expert, animal rights activist, and green mama we know. Among many other titles, she was recently named a “Rule Changer” by Italian Elle.

The dynamic husband and wife duo Troy Farmer and Katie Frichtel at Raven + Crow Studio do truly excellent graphic design work and also run a blog, Kindness of Ravens, where they write about design, music, fashion, and (what else?) vegan food.

If you’re also seeking a sweet snack in sync with the springtime season, nothing tops our Vegan Toffee. The buttery, breakable treat makes for the perfect post-lunch or after-dinner bite when you’re craving something decadent but not too heavy.
Our toffee is available in two luscious flavors: Classic Almond Toffee, flecked with toasted organic almonds, and Chocolate Almond Toffee, crested with a layer of dark chocolate.

Feeling adventurous? Try…

Breaking off a piece and dropping it into your morning cup of organic coffee.

Adding it to your favorite baking recipes.

Crushing it up as a topping for your favorite non-dairy ice cream.

Or, tell us your favorite ways to enjoy Allison’s Gourmet vegan toffee!

Can you tell I’m really loving our vegan toffee right now? Just wanted to share that love with all of you!

Congratulations to Jessica, the lucky winner of our Thanksgiving Treasure Hunt Giveaway! Jessica will receive a scrumptious order of one of our most popular confections, Chocolate Almond Toffee. If you haven’t tried it yourself, treat yourself to some. You deserve it! (It also makes a wonderful holiday gift!)