Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce announces 2016 Brooklyn-Made Award winners

Six of Brooklyn’s Finest Businesses Are Recognized

January 6, 2017 By John Alexander Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Café Grumpy cold brew — the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce’s Brooklyn-Made award-winning beverage. Photo courtesy of Café Grumpy

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The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce (BCC) on Thursday announced the winners of the 2016 Brooklyn-Made Awards, which honor the year’s best certified Brooklyn-made products. The awards recognize companies and entrepreneurs that manufacture their goods in the borough, growing the Brooklyn brand while promoting local economic development. The awards are divided into six categories: food, beverage, apparel, design, technology/hardware and Minority and Women-Owned Businesses (MWBE).

The six winners in their categories are:

Food: Brooklyn Delhi — This Brooklyn company produces small-batch achaar (pronounced uh-char), aka “Indian pickle,” a relish made from vegetables and fruits, chilies, spices and oil. The relish comes in various flavors including tomato, rhubarb ginger, gooseberry and roasted garlic. They can be purchased in markets throughout the borough and online.
Beverage: Café Grumpy — The café’s motto is “Roasting in Brooklyn & Brewing Beyond.” Café Grumpy opened its first store in Greenpoint, which promotes a welcoming and comfortable environment where patrons can enjoy their house-roasted specialty coffee paired with pastries from local bakeries. They have since opened a store in Park Slope, as well as in various locations throughout the city.
Apparel: Scosha — This apparel company’s flagship store is located at 64 Grand St. in Williamsburg, but it was in the craft markets in Brazil that Australian-born Scosha Woolridge sold her first piece of handmade jewelry. Her unique creations were inspired by the many cultures she observed on her expeditions throughout the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and South America.
Design: Wax Rax — If you are a devoted vinyl record junkie and still enjoy the warm sound of analog recordings, Wax Rax has an array of products to help you store your albums. The Windsor Terrace workshop carries a complete line of attractive carts, shelving and pedestal storage units to help collectors protect and proudly display their precious vinyl LPs.
Technology/hardware: Zieba NY — Brooklyn local Michael Zieba always had a love for craftsmanship and industrial work. He taught himself industrial design and owns and operates Zieba, a Greenpoint company that specializes in creating handmade knives and accessories.
MWBE: Isabella’s Creations — This Dyker Heights bakery makes custom cakes for all occasions, including weddings, engagements, anniversaries and birthdays. Its motto is “If you can dream it, we can bake it,” and that includes cupcakes, cookies and all kinds of desserts.

“We’re very proud to recognize and support these accomplished businesses and their high-quality, Brooklyn-Made products,” said BCC President and CEO Andrew Hoan. “These industrious companies invest in Brooklyn — fostering local economic development, creating jobs for Brooklynites and manufacturing great products that expand our brand — and they deserve this honor.”

“Brooklyn-Made is a wonderful recognition of quality that rewards businesses for making substantive contributions to their local economies and communities,” said BCC board Chair Denise Arbesu. “The winners of these awards have it all: Product design, development and assembly all take place right here in our borough.”