UGA’s Flavor of Georgia competition brings together food innovation and old-fashioned entrepreneurship.
The Flavor of Georgia competition, hosted by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, has been a launching pad for local food entrepreneurs since 2007. It’s where recipes passed down through generations—or born in late-night kitchen huddles—claim the spotlight, helping small Georgia-based businesses gain traction in a competitive market.
Although trophies and titles are coveted, the contest is about much more than that. Flavor of Georgia is an annual chance for makers across the state to share their products, gain feedback, and build valuable relationships with consumers, distributors, and fellow food innovators.
In 2025, Flavor of Georgia once again opened its doors to the public with a new event: Savor the State, a tasting experience that brought together food fans,families, and flavor fanaticsof all kinds.
“Our mission with Flavor of Georgia is simple,” said Manpreet Singh, department head and professor of food science and technology. “We aim to showcase the ingenuity of Georgia’s food entrepreneurs and small business owners, and Savor the State is the real-life embodiment of our goals behind this competition.”
Savor the State
On April 17, the scents of barbecue sauce, lemon zest, and fresh-baked goods rolled through the grand halls of The Classic Center in downtown Athens, signaling the return of Flavor of Georgia’s much-anticipated finale. Passport-style tasting cards in hand, attendees wound their way through rows of vendor booths offering everything from small-batch jams and spicy sauces to artisan cheeses and handmade pound cakes. With every bite, they scribbled flavor notes.
“Cinnamon-forward.” “Bright heat.” “Surprisingly creamy.”
Guests thoughtfully filled the pages of their tasting guide before casting votes for the coveted People’s Choice award.
With informative demos and inspiring conversations between curious guests and proud producers happening at nearly every booth, the sense of pride for all the work that goes into these passionate livelihoods was clear. For many of these small business owners, this was their biggest audience, filled with decision-makers and devoted food lovers alike.
Even UGA President Jere W. Morehead JD ’80 joined in the feast, touring the tasting floor to sample Georgia-and alumni-made products. His presence served as a reminder of UGA’s role in nurturing food entrepreneurs from idea to enterprise and was a moment of pride for vendors with UGA ties.
The event was more than a showcase. It was a sensory tour of Georgia’s food future—and a celebration of the people, places, and passion driving it forward.
The Rookies
Natalie’s Baked Goods
Natalie Hall BSA ’22 didn’t plan on launching a bakery. But after losing her job during the pandemic, she returned to her roots with family recipes including her signature pound cake. With the perfect balance of moist, dense texture and impactful flavor, her signature pound cake was a standout hit of the 2025 tasting event.
Her story embodies the resilience that Flavor of Georgia often highlights: personal pivots that lead to passion projects with purpose. For Natalie, the contest was also a homecoming to bring her product back to Athens, where her journey started.
“Back in college, my boyfriend—now my husband—and his roommates were basically my unofficial taste-testers,” Hall laughed. “Anytime I had a baking itch or a cancellation, I’d send over pound cake or something new Iwas experimenting with. They’d joke I was the reason they needed gym memberships! My own roommates didn’t mind either. Our apartment always smelled amazing, and they liked to say I used the oven more than both of them combined.”
Tilted Tea
Tilted Tea, a beverage startup tapping into the booming trend of functional drinks, also joined the competition. Their plant-based, energizing tea blend stood out for its clean flavor and sleek branding, earning them the 2025 Flavor of Georgia Beverage category win.
Despite being first-time entrants, the team behind Tilted Tea came in with a clear strategy to connect with conscious consumers looking for something refreshing yet purposeful. They wanted a product that was genuine and simple, 100% natural, healthy, and enjoyable. Flavor of Georgia offered a platform not just for exposure but also for learning what resonates.
The Veterans
White Oak Pastures
Will Harris BSA ’76 has transformed his family’s Bluffton farm into a nationally recognized model for regenerative agriculture. Under his leadership, White Oak Pastures has shifted from conventional methods to a vertically integrated, zero-waste operation that prioritizes humane animal management and environmental stewardship.
This year, the farm took home a win in the Meat & Seafood category with their Pastured Pork Cane Syrup Sausage, a sweet, vintage-inspired breakfast sausage made from Georgia-raised pork and infused with cane syrup for a nostalgic Southern twist. With simple, high-quality ingredients, the product reflects the farm’s mission to honor tradition while pushing sustainable food forward.
Sweet Grass Dairy
Though they’ve competed before without winning a title, Sweet Grass Dairy returned to the 2025 competition with a standout product: Georgia Gouda, a creamy, rich cheese made from the milk of pasture-raised cows in Thomasville. The dairy was founded in 2000 by Al BSA ’79 and Desiree Wehner BSA ’81, a couple who met at UGA and moved to south Georgia to pursue sustainable agriculture. Since then, Sweet Grass has grown into a staple of the state’s artisan food scene.
Their commitment to quality continued into the next generation. In 2005, the Wehners passed the cheesemaking side of the business to their daughter, Jessica, and son-in-law, Jeremy Little. Since then, the Littles have raised four sons, opened a restaurant in downtown Thomasville, and grown Sweet Grass Dairy into a nationally recognized brand. Their cheeses have earned more than 75 awards, including this year’s Flavor of Georgia win in the Dairy category.
Oconee Gold BBQ Sauce
Oconee Gold BBQ Sauce made waves in 2023 with their White Gold sauce. In 2025, they returned with a new contender: Georgia Sweet Peach, a tangy, fruit-forward twist that earned Oconee Gold the title in the Sauce category for the second year in a row.
The story of Oconee Gold is one steeped in smoke, family, and Southern tradition. Founder James Argo first learned the art of barbecue from his father, Big Jim, who mastered the pit in Welcome, North Carolina. After moving to Georgia at age 11, James began crafting a signature sauce that combined his Carolina roots with local flavors. What began as a sidekick to his smoked pork at cookouts and tailgates slowly built a cult following, first among friends, then neighbors, and eventually across the region.
In 2020, encouraged by friends at a pool party, Argo officially bottled and named his sauce. From mason jars sold by word of mouth to shelves in local stores, Oconee Gold quickly became a household name in barbecue circles. For owner James Argo, this year’s repeat win validated not only the brand’s flavor chops but also its ability to keep innovating.
Looking Forward
As Flavor of Georgia continues to evolve, events like Savor the State are creating new ways to connect Georgians with the products made in their own backyards. Whether you’re a first-time baker sharing a dream or a seasoned pro fine-tuning your next big product, the competition proves there’s room at the table for everyone.“Each year, it’s inspiring to see both new and established entrepreneurs come together to celebrate Georgia’s rich agricultural and culinary landscape and to get a glimpse of the future,” says Nick T. Place, dean and director of the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “We’re proud to play a role in highlighting how food not only nourishes us but connects us to our communities and to each other.”
This story appears in the Fall 2025 issue of Georgia Magazine.
