NFRA Announces 2025 Penguin Pitch Winners

HARRISBURG, Penn. — The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) announced the winners of its annual Penguin Pitch: Emerging Brand Contest, created to spotlight up-and-coming brands reshaping the frozen and refrigerated aisles through innovation, flavor and purpose.

Following a competitive review process, eight finalists were selected to submit product samples and promotional materials for evaluation by a panel of industry judges:

• Actual Veggies – Super Fries
• CitraPac Inc. – Nature’s Premium Parfait Pearls
• CVT Inc. – CVT Soft Serve
• Fat and Weird Cookie Company – Stuffed Mega Cookie Dough Bites
• Frönen – Salted Caramel Frozen Dessert Pint
• Jesse & Ben’s – Tallow & Sea Salt House-Cut Fries
• Maia Yogurt – Maia Kids No Sugar Added Pouch (Blueberry)
• MyForest Foods – MyBacon

Four brands earned top honors in the following categories:

• Most Unique Promotional Campaign: Frönen, for its clean ingredients and nostalgic flavor
• Most Disruptive Product: Jesse & Ben’s, praised for reintroducing tallow in a clean-label fry
• Most Creative Packaging: Actual Veggies, with its bold color, educational design and kid appeal
• Grand Prize: CVT Soft Serve, for its nostalgic taste, simple ingredients and “game-changing” format

“The Penguin Pitch recognizes brands that bring new thinking, standout flavor and category growth potential,” said Tricia Greyshock, NFRA President and CEO. “This year’s finalists demonstrated a strong mix of consumer relevance and forward-looking innovation.”

As the grand prize winner, CVT Soft Serve will receive a featured table in Café NFRA at the 2025 NFRA Convention, Oct. 18–21, in Orlando, Fla.