LEAMINGTON, ON - With refined palates and an eye—and taste—for high-quality ingredients, the chefs have spoken, honoring Pure Flavor®’s Cloud 9® Bite-Sized Fruity Tomatoes with the ChefsBest® Excellence award. Already recognized for its unique flavor and snacking potential, the exclusive variety is now endorsed by professional chefs.

"To have experienced chefs recognize Cloud 9^® Tomatoes is truly an honor,” said Jamie Moracci, President of Pure Flavor®. “When we first tasted this uniquely sweet snacking tomato, we knew right away it was something special that consumers and chefs alike would love.”

The panel of judges for the ChefsBest award is composed of independent, professional chefs known as certified Master Tasters®, according to a press release. The Master Tasters evaluated Cloud 9 Tomatoes using Sensory Attribute Quality Analysis, judging on appearance, aroma, flavor, basic taste, and texture.

After evaluation of the tomato variety, ChefsBest concluded that “Cloud 9 Tomatoes deliver overall quality with a burst of juice, fruity, and ripe tomato flavors, and a sweet taste.”

“The response we’ve received since launch has been overwhelming, and it shows that there is a real consumer demand for a fresh, premium, and super sweet product in the category," said Matt Mastronardi, Executive Vice President at Pure Flavor. “As a result, we’re increasing acreage to make sure there is a consistent supply year-round to meet demand.”

This is the second time that Cloud 9 Tomatoes have been recognized by professional chefs. Earlier this year, the variety also won the International Taste Institute’s (ITI) Superior Taste Award.

“With this second award, attention from millions of social media users, and now gourmet recipes from executive-level chefs, the brand keeps gaining momentum. On all fronts, this product is getting a lot of attention," added Chris Veillon, Chief Marketing Officer at Pure Flavor. “Consumers are writing to us on social media and in emails to find out where they can buy this product they saw shared on the feed. We’re getting requests from influencers and chefs who want to work with Cloud 9, it’s kind of taking on a life of its own.”

Taking place across not only retail outlets, but in the digital realm as well, the surge in demand for Cloud 9 has millions of consumers viewing and sharing recipe content featuring the variety.

Both professional and at-home chefs alike have been using Cloud 9 Tomatoes to boost the flavor in a variety of different mouth-watering dishes.

“When evaluated along with other products in the category, Pure Flavor Cloud 9 Tomatoes surpassed the standards required for the ChefsBest Excellence Award,” commented Randi Coulthard, Acting CEO of ChefsBest.

Chef Rick Paniagua, whose new Tomato Salad with Sesame Tuna recipe features the tomatoes, also weighed in on the value of this unique offering.

“Cloud 9 Tomatoes are outstanding alone and when combined with the other ingredients, you truly see them shine and can appreciate the complexity of their flavors,” explained Paniagua.

As Cloud 9 Tomatoes continue to make a splash online and in store, what will come next for the variety and Pure Flavor? Keep reading AndNowUKnow for the answers.

Pure Flavor®