It’s been a great few weeks for Somerset, as local food producers have been showered with awards and honours.
The Great Taste Awards are the most competitive, professional and prestigious food awards in Britain; winning a star (from among nearly 10,000 entries, blind-judged by more than 400 experts) is an accolade that can make a tremendous difference to a small business.
Two Somerset businesses won the highest honour (three stars): Newton Farm Foods for its fillet steak, and The Bay Tree for its raspberry curd.
Two-star awards went to Crown and Glory ale, Eurilait’s goats cheese crottin, Godminster’s rosemary water biscuits, Jon Thorner’s steak and kidney and steak and ale pies (two stars each), Perry’s premium vintage cider and single orchard cider (two stars each) and The Bay Tree’s wholegrain mustard.
At the Taste of the West Awards, Brimsmore Gardens’ Apple Tree Farm Shop, near Yeovil, scooped a gold.
In the new (2014) edition of the Good Pub Guide, honours went to Woods in Dulverton (Wine Pub of the Year) and the Lord Poulett Arms in Hinton St George (Somerset Dining Pub Of the Year).
