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. The placement provides direct exposure to leading retailers and industry decision-makers.