In an average issue, Food and Drink’s editors profile around 40 companies, including every type of player – from growers to restaurateurs. To develop these engaging pieces each issue, editors speak in-depth with top executives about their best practices, challenges, strategies and goals. Over a year, that’s about 240 or so profiles of top firms in this dynamic industry.    

In this special year-end Editors’ Choice edition, we look back at the most innovative and fascinating executives and companies of 2007. The top picks include an array of industry leaders, including Achatz Handmade Pie Co., whose founder Wendy Achatz “started off selling pies at craft fairs and now is featured on Food Network,” Senior Editor Hanna Aronovich says, adding “Its practices have been eco-friendly for years.”

Another pick, Vintner’s Cellar Franchising CEO David Eccles Sr., “describes himself as a wine novice, but he’s done an excellent job of making winemaking accessible to the general public while breathing some life into the tired concept of franchising,” Special Projects Editor Brooke Knudson says.

That said, we believe all business leaders have the potential to perform at their best and, as always, encourage leaders to apply the best practices they read about in Food and Drink to their day-to-day operations. After all, one of the greatest joys about being part of the food industry is this contagious passion to be the best. 

If you would like a free copy of this special year-end issue, please send your name and street address to Senior Food Editor Erica Burke at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .