Barefoot awarded Specialty Food Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award

Pam Barefoot, former owner of the Blue Crab Bay Company in Melfa, has received the Specialty Food Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Barefoot built the company into a beloved coastal Virginia brand known for its Bloody Mary mixers, seafood seasonings, and award-winning peanuts. She launched the business in 1985 after moving to the Eastern Shore, drawing inspiration from the region’s abundance of clams and crabs. Her first products—flavorful dip blends—reflected both her childhood love of coastal cuisine and her drive to create something lasting and meaningful. Over the decades, Blue Crab Bay became a nationally recognized name, with its products even making cameos in films like Sleeping with the Enemy.

Pam has been a proud member of the Specialty Food Association since 1989 and served on its Board of Directors for over a decade. She helped establish the Virginia Pavilion at the Fancy Food Show and contributed her leadership to both the Education and Membership Committees. Named Virginia’s Small Business Person of the Year and honored as the SBA’s Outstanding Woman Entrepreneur, she has long championed small businesses, rural economic development, and regional tourism.

Since selling her company in 2016, Pam has embraced retirement with the same energy and creativity she brought to her business. She now lives in North Carolina, where she enjoys volunteering, producing educational videos, and giving back to her community.