Often referred to as ‘The Oscars’ of the food and drink world, The Great Taste Awards (GTA) was started 30 years ago in Dorset by the Guild of Fine Foods, whose HQ is in Gillingham. The GTAs are now the world’s largest and most respected food accreditation scheme for artisan and speciality food and drink producers. It is also the highest global accolade based entirely on taste.
This year’s 14,195 entries, submitted from 109 countries, were considered by more than 500 food and drink experts, included chefs, critics, recipe developers, buyers, journalists, retailers, broadcasters, and reputable industry professionals. Across 89 judging days in Dorset and London, they conducted comprehensive blind taste tests on a huge range of products from smoked salmon to sorbet; 5,904 were given GTA stars, including 248 3-stars accolades including eight Dorset products. Dorset food and drink producers gained either a Great Taste 1-, 2- or 3-star award for 72 products in total. Look out for the iconic black and gold Great Taste logo on their winning products. All GTA 3-star products will be tasted and judged again by an expert judging panel who will decide on which will be declared Golden Fork trophy winners and the 2023 Supreme Champion. This will be revealed in mid-September.
Find the full list at greattasteawards.co.uk
Dorset's Great Taste Award 3-star winners
Dorset Pastry
It’s a triple win for Dorset Pastry at the Great Taste Awards 2023 as they have landed 3-star Great Taste Awards for their Premium Shortcrust Pastry, Premium Fine Puff Pastry and Organic Fine Puff Pastry. The latter judges declared to be ‘a feather-light pastry that crumbles; indeed, almost melts in the mouth and leaves a rich, buttery taste that quietly subsides on a long finish.’ dorsetpastry.com
Hollis Mead
Hollis Mead Organic Dairy has followed last year’s 3-star accolade for their Benville - an organic triple cream Brie style cheese - with a 3-star win for Truffled Benville. Judges described this as: ‘Beautifully ripe and creamy with full on buttery loveliness. The truffle has been well handled - it's just the right amount - savoury umami at its best. The rind is soft and bloomy and the paste at optimum perfection. What a star this cheese is!’ hollismeadorganicdairy.co.uk
Angel Cottage Organics
Based at Haddon Copse Farm, near Fifehead Neville, Angel Cottage Organics had the judges in raptures over their Whole Organic Chicken, roasted to perfection in the professional kitchen at the Guild of Fine Foods. This ‘plump bird’ was declared to be ‘chicken as it should be’; breast meat was ‘firm and exuding flavour’ and the dark thigh meat was ‘succulent and even more flavoursome’. angelcottageorganics.co.uk
Capreolus Fine Foods
A former winner of the Golden Fork accolade, Capreolus Fine Foods has a veritable deli counter full of GTA winning Dorset charcuterie. This year was no exception with nine GTA awards including a 3-star win for their Dorset Coppa. Judges described this ‘fine-looking coppa’ as ‘quite sensational’ with ‘a symphony of sweet and tender meat, flavourful fat, perfectly balanced spice, a superb and succulent mouthfeel, and a long and lingering taste.’ capreolusfinefoods.co.uk
Woodlands Dairy
The organic milk from the ewes of this dairy near Blandford Forum is the star ingredient for Woodlands Dairy Organic Sheep Milk Yoghurt. The pasteurised milk (with its culture) is poured straight into the pots, which are sealed and put overnight into their unique incubators to form ‘hot potted yoghurt’. Judges described this 3-star product as ‘simple, pure and totally delicious’ with a rich and creamy consistency. ‘The flavour is exceptional, so clean with a citrus zing.’ woodlandsdairy.co.uk
The Wasabi Company
Sansho Spiced Rum from The Wasabi Company, at Waddock Cross near Dorchester, is distilled from scratch in England. Smoky soy and sesame provide light oak and tobacco notes, whilst the sansho berries, a natural flavour enhancer that stimulate the taste receptors in the brain, offers a mouth-watering peppery citrus complemented by the rich Christmas-cake sweetness from the base rum and Okinawan black sugar. Judges were blown away by this ‘fantastic rum with a lot of character’. ‘Umami on the nose and in the mouth. The togarashi spice awakens the taste buds and tingles the lips in a nice way.’ thewasabicompany.co.uk
Dorset 2-star GTA winners: Lemon Sorbet (baboogelato.com); 43% Colombia Oat M!lk Chocolate Gelato (chococo.co.uk); 3% Dorset Strained Yoghurt: The Strawberry Edition and Dorset Strained Yoghurt: Whole Milk (thedorsetdairyco.com); Smoked Pancetta, Smoked Mutton and Rampisham Tingler salami (capreolusfinefoods.co.uk); Truffle Salami (therealcure.co.uk); Banu Saffron, The Saffron House and Saffron Traders (banuspices.com); The Dorset Sauce Company Béarnaise (holwaykitchen.co.uk); Passion Fruit Curd and Cherry with Amaretto Extra Jam (cherrytreepreserves.co.uk); Chuncho 70% Dark Chocolate and Chuao 70 (solkiki.co.uk); Premium Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (dorsetpastry.com); Outland Milk Stout (hall-woodhouse.co.uk).
