Delta food and beverage companies are among the finalists for this year’s BC Food & Beverage Rise Awards. The 2025 Rise Awards recognize excellence across the province’s food and beverage sector and highlight innovation, growth, and leadership.
Local craft soda maker Popoff is in the running for the Emerging Brand Award. It competes with Vancouver-based Atome Bakery and PrairieGoodnes Snacks. The award is designed for new companies showing strong promise, creativity, and business potential.
Popoff, launched by former teacher Jenn Orr in June 2024, produces a “better-for-you, functional” craft soda. The drinks include real fruit, prebiotic fiber, and vitamins B6, B12, and magnesium. Since its launch, Popoff has expanded to more than 100 retailers across B.C. and Alberta, including Whole Foods, Safeway, and Thrifty’s. The company is also a finalist for the Rising Star Business Award at the Delta Chamber of Commerce’s Business Excellence Awards. Jenn Orr has been named to BCBusiness’s 30 Under 30 class of 2025 and Glory Media’s 30×30 list of emerging Canadian leaders.
Jasmine Byrne, chief operating officer at Annacis Island-based Big Mountain Foods, is a finalist for the Leadership Award. This award recognizes individuals who show mentorship, inclusion, and strong leadership in the sector. Under Byrne’s guidance, Big Mountain Foods has grown from a family-run company into a nationally recognized plant-based brand. She has focused on quality, innovation, and sustainable practices while leading with strategic thinking and empathy. Byrne’s leadership has made her a role model for women entrepreneurs in the food industry. Other finalists for the Leadership Award include Janik Livera, hospitality manager at Maverick Estate Winery, and Dr. Dionne Laslo-Baker, founder and CEO of DeeBee’s Organics.
Public voting for Emerging Brand, Leadership, and eight other categories will open on Tuesday, Sept. 9, and close on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
Big Mountain Foods is also competing for Product of the Year, a contest where 10 finalists present their products to a panel of five judges. Each finalist has 30 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to pitch. Judges then award gold, silver, and bronze prizes. Big Mountain Foods is a finalist with its plant-based roast, made from soy-free tofu, Canadian cranberries, celery, harvest herbs, mushroom gravy, and cranberry-herb stuffing. The dish is designed to be comforting, nostalgic, and inclusive for everyone. NutJar is also a finalist with pistachio butter made entirely from pure pistachios and a hint of salt. The vegan spread contains no preservatives and can be used on ice cream, fruit, cakes, or pasta sauces.
The winners will be announced at the Rise Awards Gala on Thursday, Nov. 20, at the Rocky Mountaineer Train Station in Vancouver. Delta’s strong presence in the awards highlights the region’s growing impact on B.C.’s food and beverage industry, with businesses showing creativity, innovation, and leadership across the sector.
