That's Food and Drink: Great Taste

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Friday 4 August 2023

Top Tasting Food and Drink Products from the South East Revealed for Great Taste 2023!

Thousands of artisan food and drink producers from around the world discovered if any of their products have achieved a distinguished 1-, 2- or 3-star from Great Taste - the world's largest food and drink accreditation scheme based entirely on taste.

Across 89 judging days in Dorset and London, a group of over 500 judges conducted comprehensive blind taste tests on 14,195 entries which were submitted from a staggering 109 different countries. Each producer will also receive invaluable feedback on their submissions from an array of food experts.

Products from the South East have won not one, but an impressive 745 awards. 548 x 1-stars, 182 x 2-stars and an impressive x 15 3-stars have been scooped including the following:

Great Taste 3-star – Chestnut Smoked Coppa from Tempus Foods(only 1.8% of entries received a 3-star – “extraordinarily tasty food & drink”)

Great Taste 2-star – AmaZing Zari single variety apple juice from Charrington Fruit Farms (only 11% of entries received a 2-star – “above and beyond delicious”)

Great Taste 1-star – Sliced smoked duck breast from The Weald Smokery (28.8% of entries received a 1-star – “food & drink that delivers fantastic flavour”)

said John Farrand, MD at the Guild of Fine Food: “A huge congratulations to the producers from the South East who have been warded Great Taste stars for 2023 with their outstanding food and drink.

“Every year, we welcome new and established producers making fantastic products around the world and this year has been no exception. The breadth and quality of food and drink has been outstanding, and we wish everyone who entered huge success and hope they find the feedback from our expert judging panel beneficial as they continue in their onward journey.”

Visit – https://gff.co.uk/

Great Taste Scotland

Thousands of artisan food and drink producers from around the world are discovering if any of their products achieved a distinguished 1-,2- or 3-star from Great Taste - the world's largest food and drink accreditation scheme entirely on taste.

Across 89 judging days in Dorset and London, a group of over 500 judges conducted comprehensive blind taste tests on 14,195 entries submitted from a staggering 109 different countries. Each producer will also receive invaluable feedback on their submissions from an array of food experts.

Scottish products have won not one, but an impressive 388 awards. 277 x 1-stars, 99 x 2-stars and 12 x 3-stars have been scooped including the following:

Great Taste 3-star – Hot Smoked Trout by East Neuk Kilnhouse (only 1.8% of entries received a 3-star – “extraordinarily tasty food & drink”)

Great Taste 2-star – Drinks Biscuits: Lancashire Cheese & Spring Onion by The Drinks Bakery (only 11% of entries received a 2-star – “above and beyond delicious”)

Great Taste 1-star – Honeyberry Jam by Jack & Jills Jam(28.8% of entries received a 1-star – “food & drink that delivers fantastic flavour”)

John Farrand, MD at the Guild of Fine Food said: “We offer an absolutely huge congratulations to the Scottish producers who were awarded Great Taste stars for 2023 with their outstanding food and drink.

Top Tasting Food and Drink Products from Wales Revealed for Great Taste 2023!

The land of my Fathers, Wales, has done extremely well in the Great Taste Awards.

Thousands of artisan food and drink producers from around the world discover if their products achieved a distinguished 1-,2- or 3-star from Great Taste - the world's largest food and drink accreditation scheme based entirely on taste.

Welsh products have won not one, but an impressive 242 awards. 151 x 1-stars, 77 x 2-stars and 14 x 3-starshave been scooped including the following:

Great Taste 3-star – Smoked Chicken Breast by Black Mountains Smokery (only 1.8% of entries received a 3-star – “extraordinarily tasty food & drink”)

Great Taste 2-star – Dragon Welsh Salted Butter by South Caernarfon Creameries (only 11% of entries received a 2-star – “above and beyond delicious”)

Great Taste 1-star – Plum Caramel and Pistachio praline by Brecon Chocolates (28.8% of entries received a 1-star – “food & drink that delivers fantastic flavour”)

John Farrand, managing director at the Guild of Fine Food comments: “A huge congratulations to the Welsh producers who have been awarded Great Taste stars for 2023 with their outstanding food and drink.

So, what, exactly, is Great Taste?

Recognised as a stamp of excellence and actively sought out by food lovers and retailers alike, Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, values taste above all else. All products in the line-up for judging are blind-tasted: every product is removed from its packaging so it can't be identified, before entering a robust, layered judging process.

The bursary was aimed at micro producers who have never entered Great Taste before or have a new product, which has never been entered before. The bursary panel, which consisted of Adrian Boswell, buyer at Selfridges, industry commentator and food entrepreneur Mallika Basu, and PR & marketing expert AJ Sharp, selected the 50 most eligible entries.

2023 saw 21 products entered through the bursary scheme win a Great Taste award including Karobi's Ghee from Karobi's (3-star), New Alt from Antur Brew Co. (3-star), Shoogle Junniperous Scottish Navy Strength Gin from Shoogle Spirits (2-star) and Traditional Napa Cabbage Kimchi from The Ferm (1-star).

Food & Drink Wales is the headline sponsor of Great Taste 2023. Great Taste Golden Fork trophy sponsors include: Andrew Ingredients, Bord Bia, Food & Drink Wales, Invest NI, Italian Trade Agency, Maltby & Greek, Mevalco, Partridges, Scotland Food and Drink, ShireFoods, and Speciality and Fine Food Fair. Great Taste is supported by Henderson Group, Horgans, and Peter Green Chilled.

The Great Taste 2023 judging panel:

“When I come across a product with the iconic black and gold Great Taste logo, I see it as a badge of honour and feel compelled to purchase it. Having knowledge of the effort required to attain such a rating and the exceptional flavour that accompanies it, I am confident the product will not disappoint.” said a regular of the Great Taste judging panel.

The distinguished judging panel consisting of over 500 food & drink experts, included chefs, critics, recipe developers, buyers, journalists, retailers, broadcasters, and reputable industry professionals. The Great Taste 2023 judging line-up included senior buyers and coordinators from Selfridges, Whole Foods Market, Fortnum & Mason, Harrods, Waitrose and Westmorland Family. MasterChef 2022 winner Eddie Scott, olive oil sommelier and author Irini Tzortzoglou, food writer and owner of Violet Cakes Claire Ptak, chef and co-founder of Island Social Club Marie Mitchell, chef turned farmer Julius Roberts, pastry chef and author Ravneet Gill, restaurateur and producer Amy Poon from Poon's, baker and author Kitty Tait - the youngest and newest judge to join this year. Finally, broadcasters and journalists Andy Clarke and Juliet Sear (ITV), Felicity Cloake (The Guardian), Xanthe Clay (Telegraph) and Joanna Blythman were involved this year, among many others.

What next?

These Great Taste award-winners can now proudly display the iconic black and gold Great Taste logo as a badge of honour on their award-winning products. The logo states whether the product was awarded 1-, 2- or 3- stars and that it was awarded in 2023, so make sure to look out for them in your local stockist!

Great Taste Golden Fork ceremony

The excitement of Great Taste 2023 doesn't stop there, for the highest scoring winners it's just the beginning. All 3-star winning products were tasted and judged again by the knowledgeable judging panel to crown the Golden Fork trophy winners and the 2023 Supreme Champion – the highest accolade of all.

The Golden Fork ceremony celebrates the best of the best from producers around the world, awarding them with a Golden Fork trophy. Further Golden Fork trophies are given for various categories, including the Guild of Fine Food Lifetime Achievement award, the Great Taste Startisan of the Year award and Nigel Barden's Heritage Award.

All will be announced at the Great Taste Golden Fork Ceremony on Monday 11 September 2023 at the Battersea Arts Centre (this is a special, trade event only).

For the full list of this year's winners and where to buy them, head to www.greattasteawards.co.uk from 2pm today where you will also find a wide range of the award-winning products available to buy in delis, farm shops and independent retail outlets across the country.

Keep up to date on socials: @guildoffinefood #ISpyGreatTaste

As my Welsh relatives would say: "da iawn!"

Ed Baker Celebrates a Host of Great Taste Awards Using Matthews Cotswold Flour

South East London's Ed Baker is celebrating scooping a plethora of Great Taste Awards including 3 stars for their White Sourdough made with Matthews Cotswold Flour's premium organic white flour as well as 2 stars for their Wholemeal Sourdough made with Matthews Cotswold Flour's premium organic white, organic premium wholegrain and organic dark rye, and Baba au Rum made with Matthews Cotswold Flour's T55.

Said a "delighted" Eddy Sleiman, owner of artisan bakery, Ed Baker: “I'm absolutely thrilled to have won Great Taste awards for all five of the products I entered into this prestigious competition.

"I'm on a mission to deliver authentic flavours employing only real, organic ingredients and these accolades are a fantastic reward for the hard work and passion I put into each and every of my recipes. It's also recognition for the outstanding ingredients I use. I can honestly say the quality of my loaves changed dramatically when I began working with Matthews Cotswold Flour and I strongly believe I wouldn't have collected these awards without using their flour, as I'm certain that both the bread and the pastry wouldn't have been the same.”

Bertie Matthews, who is the MD of Matthews Cotswold Flour added: "We're obviously very delighted to see the fruits of Ed's labours being celebrated by these awards. Ed's dedicated a huge amount of time and effort, combined with science, to create these fabulous products which demonstrate how great ingredients in the hands of outstanding artisans can be turned into award-winning, popular products.”

14,195 products were put through the competition's rigorous blind judging process with only 1,568 being awarded a Great Taste 2-star 'above and beyond delicious', and 248 received a Great Taste 3-star – 'extraordinarily tasty food and drink'. 4,088 products were awarded a Great Taste 1-star 'food and drink that delivers fantastic flavour'.

White Sourdough made using Cotswold Premium Organic White Flour won 3 stars and was described by the judges as 'a beautifully crafted loaf with a crisp crust, perfect rise and a soft, open crumb' with a 'delightful' sourdough flavour.

Wholemeal Sourdough made with Cotswold Premium Organic White, Cotswold Organic Premium Wholemeal and Organic Dark Rye won 2 stars and was described by the judges as 'a gorgeous looking loaf with good colour on the crust and a lovely and moist crumb with good aeration'.

Baba au Rum made with Cotswold T55 won 2 stars and the judges commented that 'it's very clear that a skilful baker is responsible for this wonderful yeast bake. It was a delicious dessert'.

Ed Baker also won 1 star for their Mushroom Quiche with white wine and cheddar and their Onion Quiche with Lancashire cheese and jalapeno.

Ed Baker is a new artisan bakery situated between Hither Green and Ladywell, in South East London. The baker (Ed) is a sourdough purist and bakes his bread on site daily. He is self-taught and develops all his own recipes.

Driven by the love and passion Eddy has for good food, his recipes are influenced by the richness and diversity of the East Mediterranean and European cuisines. Ed Baker was founded with the promise to always; provide healthy choices, deliver authentic flavours, and use real, organic ingredients. For more information about Ed Baker visit www.iamedbaker.com or follow @iamedbaker on Instagram.

Matthews Cotswold Flour is a family business that has been trading grain and milling flour in the heart of the Cotswolds since the 1800s. Matthews Cotswold Flour is committed to supporting regenerative food sources, developing an unparalleled range of top quality, award-winning, products and inspiring, educating and partnering with the nation's artisan and home bakers. For more information visit www.cotswoldflour.com or follow @CotswoldFlour on Instagram or Facebook.

Established in 1994, Great Taste is organised by the Guild of Fine Food and is the world's largest, longest standing and most respected food accreditation scheme for artisan and speciality food producers. This year, judging took place over 89 days in Dorset and London, with a panel of more than 500 judges putting the products to the test. The line-up saw food and drink products submitted from an extraordinary 109 different countries across the world. For more information visit www.greattasteawards.co.uk

Thursday 3 August 2023

Top Tasting Food and Drink Products from Ireland Revealed for Great Taste 2023

Today, thousands of artisan food and drink producers from around the globe to discover if any of their products have achieved a distinguished 1-, 2- or 3-star from Great Taste - the world's largest food and drink accreditation which is based entirely on taste.

Across 89 judging days in Dorset and London, a group of in excess of 500 judges conducted comprehensive blind taste tests on 14,195 entries submitted from a staggering 109 different countries. Each producer will also receive invaluable feedback on their submissions from an array of food experts.

Irish products have won not one, but an impressive 526 awards. 389 x 1-stars, 120 x 2-stars and 17 x 3-stars have been scooped including the following:

Great Taste 3-star – Macroom Buffalo Ricotta from Macroom Buffalo Cheese Products (only 1.8% of entries received a 3-star – “extraordinarily tasty food & drink”)

Great Taste 2-star – Waldron Family Handmade Black Pudding from Waldron Meats (only 11% of entries received a 2-star – “above and beyond delicious”)

Great Taste 1-star – Bart's Blended Irish Whiskey by Lough Ree Distillery (only 28.8% of entries received a 1-star – “food & drink that delivers fantastic flavour”)

John Farrand, managing director at the Guild of Fine Food comments: “A huge congratulations to the Irish producers who have been awarded Great Taste stars for 2023 with their outstanding food and drink.

What is Great Taste?

Recognised as a stamp of excellence and actively sought out by food lovers and retailers alike, Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, values taste above all else. All products in the line-up for judging are blind-tasted: every product is removed from its packaging so it cannot be identified, before entering a robust, layered judging process.

New for this year and to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Great Taste, the Guild of Fine Food offered 50 micro producers the chance to put one new product in front of its expert panel of Great Taste judges for free. The bursary was aimed at micro producers who have never entered Great Taste before or have a new product, which has never been entered before. The bursary panel, which consisted of Adrian Boswell, buyer at Selfridges, industry commentator and food entrepreneur Mallika Basu, and PR & marketing expert AJ Sharp, selected the 50 most eligible entries.

The Great Taste 2023 judging panel: “When I come across a product with the iconic black and gold Great Taste logo, I see it as a badge of honour and feel compelled to purchase it. Having knowledge of the effort required to attain such a rating and the exceptional flavour that accompanies it, I am confident the product will not disappoint.” said a regular of the Great Taste judging panel.

MasterChef 2022 winner Eddie Scott, olive oil sommelier and author Irini Tzortzoglou, food writer and owner of Violet Cakes Claire Ptak, chef and co-founder of Island Social Club Marie Mitchell, chef turned farmer Julius Roberts, pastry chef and author Ravneet Gill, restaurateur and producer Amy Poon from Poon's, baker and author Kitty Tait - the youngest and newest judge to join this year. Finally, broadcasters and journalists Andy Clarke and Juliet Sear (ITV), Felicity Cloake (The Guardian), Xanthe Clay (Telegraph) and Joanna Blythman were involved this year, among many others.

What next?

Great Taste Golden Fork ceremony

The excitement of Great Taste 2023 doesn't stop here, for the highest scoring winners it's just the beginning. All 3-star winning products were tasted and judged again by the knowledgeable judging panel to crown the Golden Fork trophy winners and the 2023 Supreme Champion – the highest accolade of all.

All will be announced at the Great Taste Golden Fork Ceremony on Monday 11 September 2023 at the Battersea Arts Centre (trade event only).

Tuesday 1 August 2023

It's Results Day for Great Taste 2023!

Today,1,000s of artisan producers from all over the world will learn if their products are among the tastiest in the world with the wildly anticipated results and judges' feedback for Great Taste 2023, the highest taste recognition of its kind.

Across 89 judging days in Dorset and London, a group in excess of 500 judges conducted comprehensive blind taste tests on the 14,195 entries which were submitted from a staggering 109 different countries all over the world.

Each producer will receive highly valuable feedback on their submissions from an array of food experts and find out if they've earned Great Taste 1-, 2-, or 3-star award.

This year, only 5,904 products of the total products entered received an award (41.6%) and of the 2,516 winning companies, 1,837 (73%) are based in the UK and 679 (27%) span all corners of the globe.

Says John Farrand, who is the MD at the Guild of Fine Food: “It's always incredibly exciting to be able to share fantastic tasting food and drink from across the world after so many judging days. We have witnessed an outstanding year of exceptional quality, innovation, and creativity once again.

"High-quality, straight forward food and drink including meat, fish and dairy products continue to stand out, and highly impressive ingredients, from fermented sauces to spices carry on making their mark. Often simple does best, it's been absolutely brilliant to hear our judges discover the delicious tastes of really well-made ice creams, coffees, chocolate and sourdough bread.

“What's truly remarkable is to see the Great Taste entrants continue to thrive amid one of the toughest economic and social periods, it's nothing short of inspirational. It takes courage and perseverance to establish or grow a food or drink business, and these producers have done an exceptional job.

"From adhering to strict standards and policies to mastering marketing and sales, not to mention achieving excellent taste and flavour. We want to thank them for their continued passion and skill and look forward to seeing more gold and black Great Taste stickers on shelves around the world over the next year.” Farrand concludes.

So, who are the Great Taste 2023 3-star winners?

To achieve a Great Taste star rating of any level is a really significant achievement. With the highest rating being a Great Taste 3-star, determined by over 65 expert palates collectively during the final judging days, products of this calibre are sought out by food lovers across the nation. This year, just 248 (1.8% of entries) products have been awarded this top accreditation.

Of the 3-star winners, 139 have come from the UK and 109 from international producers, including oak honeys from Greece and Spain, cold brew tea from Germany, Lebanese chilli sea salt, Cambodian flower sugar and cheeses from Hungary, France, Norway, Bulgaria, and Spain, among many other interesting and innovative products.

There were 248 Great Taste 3-star winners this year, including:

VOG Jackson's Black Oyster Shell IPA from Vale of Glamorgan Brewery, one of Wales' oldest microbreweries, who have been brewing in Barry since 2005 and have no plans to stop any time soon! https://www.vogbrewery.co.uk/

Chocolatia, which is a Scottish business set up by former Gleneagles chef Chloe Oswald as a creative outlet during lockdown, impressed judges with a grand total of three 3-stars for their Hazelnut Latte Bonbon, Pecan Pie Bonbon and Sea Salt Caramel Filled Bar. https://www.chocolatia.co.uk/

Hannan Meats, which is one of Northern Ireland's leading butchers and previous Supreme Champion winner continued their winning streak with 3-star for both their Buttermilk Pork Chop and Koji Pork Chop. https://www.hannanmeats.com/

Sarah Churchill from The Artisan Kitchen achieved the highest number of 3-stars from any one company with a staggering 8 x 3-stars for her jams and marmalades produced in Gloucester. https://www.theartisankitchen.co.uk/

A Croatian mint cordial from small family company Imanje Kapronca delighted judges with its “green, verdant freshness”. https://www.imanjekapronca.hr/

Scúp Gelato, an Irish family business and Golden Fork winner from 2022, carried their success into 2023, winning a second 3-star for one of their sorbets, this time for their Natural Yogurt & Blackcurrant Sorbet. https://scupgelato.com/

Anchoas Hazas won another 3 x 3-stars for their anchovy products. A family business in Asturias in Northern Spain, anchovies are often preserved for 26 months before every part of the fish is meticulously used to ensure nothing goes to waste. Sadly no longer able to import to the UK due to Brexit, Anchoas Hazas is a multiple Great Taste winner. https://anchoashazas.com/

A relative newcomer to Great Taste, Finnish distillery Kyrö is awared a 3-star for its Kyrö Rye Malt Whisky, produced in an old dairy in Isokyrö. https://www.kyrodistillery.co.uk/

Taiwanese tea company, Archome Ent. Int'l Co., entered for the first time and came away with 3 x 3-stars for their Oriental Beauty, Sunrise Hike and Spring Blossom teas. https://yoosheetea.com/

MasterChef 2022 winner Eddie Scott, olive oil sommelier and author Irini Tzortzoglou, food writer and owner of Violet Cakes Claire Ptak, chef and co-founder of Island Social Club Marie Mitchell, chef turned farmer Julius Roberts, pastry chef and author Ravneet Gill, restaurateur and producer Amy Poon from Poon's, baker and author Kitty Tait - the youngest and newest judge to join this year. Finally, broadcasters and journalists Nigel Barden and Lotte Duncan (BBC), Andy Clarke and Juliet Sear (ITV), Felicity Cloake (The Guardian), Xanthe Clay (Telegraph) and Joanna Blythman were involved this year, among many others.

What happens next?

Past winners have stated that displaying a Great Taste sticker has increased sales by as much as 50%, as consumers from around the world are enthused to taste the best food and drink products available each year. In the UK, 55% of all adults are familiar with the Great Taste logo, with 80% saying an award would make them consider a product, according to YouGov research from December 2022 (sample size: 2,021).

Great Taste Golden Fork ceremony

All will be announced at the Great Taste Golden Fork Ceremony on Monday 11 September 2023 at the Battersea Arts Centre (trade only event).

What is Great Taste?

Recognised as a stamp of excellence and actively sought out by food lovers and retailers alike, Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, values taste above all else. All products in the line-up for judging are blind tasted: every product is removed from its packaging so it cannot be identified, before entering a robust, layered judging process.

Keep up to date on socials: @guildoffinefood #ISpyGreatTaste

Visit – https://gff.co.uk