2015
Sparkling Beer Brut – SAVOUR BEER
Added August 5th, 2015
A tribute to Champagne, this sparkling beer is bottle-aged for 100 days and captured judges’ attention with its originality and character. The panel found the golden beer to be “incredibly distinctive with bags of complexity” and especially enjoyed the floral elderflower notes on the nose. www.savourbeer.com
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewChicken, Bacon & Leek Pie – WILLIAM DYER
Added August 5th, 2015
This chicken bacon & leek pie, from family-run butcher William Dyer, offers “generous filling and beautiful pastry”, which combined to give the judges a “satisfying mouthful”. Described as “great home cooking”, the pie got a big thumbs up from the supreme judging panel. www.williamdyerbutchers.co.uk
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewOrganic Luxurious Yoghurt – JESS’S LADIES ORGANIC FARM MILK
Added August 5th, 2015
Made by hand using organic unhomogenised milk, this live yoghurt has a “silky” texture that proved a hit with the judges, who described it as “incredibly creamy”. They also enjoyed the balance of tang and sweetness, with citrus notes coming through to add sharpness. www.theladiesorganicmilk.co.uk
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewKalamansi Lime Caramel – ROCOCO CHOCOLATES
Added August 5th, 2015
“An endearing combination” was one judge’s comment about these cocoa pod-shaped chocolates with a “perfectly thin” shell. The whole panel commended the balance and delivery of flavours – with the caramel coming first followed by the zing of lime. www.rococochocolates.com
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewTonde Gentille Hazelnut Gelato – LA GELATIERA
Added August 5th, 2015
La Gelatiera makes this gelato with Jersey milk and cream and Tonda Gentile hazelnuts from Piedmont in Italy. Judges picked up on how well this product was churned to create a smooth and non-greasy texture. They also applauded it for its “beguiling” hazelnut flavour and not being too sweet. www.lagelatiera.co.uk
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewSicilian Pistachio Sorbet – LA GELATIERA
Added August 5th, 2015
This “innovative” dairy-free sorbet, which is suitable for vegans, is made with pure Bronte pistachios and Maldon sea salt flakes. Its “rich and creamy texture” seduced the judging panel as they tasted both toasted pistachio flakes and the salt loud and clear. www.lagelatiera.co.uk
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewMokhado Macadamia Nut Oil – MOKHADO
Added August 5th, 2015
This extra virgin macadamia nut oil enamoured the judging panel with an “amazing explosion of flavour on the tongue”. Some of the judges picked up a peppery kick following the nutty and buttery notes but all enthused about the oil’s potential in the kitchen. “A proper wow moment,” they said. www.mokhado.com
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewOrganic Argan Oil No. 1 Ardent Artisan – SAVEUR DU MAROC
Added August 5th, 2015
The “intense nutty character” of this entirely hand-produced oil wowed judges as they detected notes of toasted hazelnuts and almonds, popcorn and rice. Praised for its silky mouth coating texture, the oil was described by one judge as a “soft, oily hug” while another declared: “I could drink this by the pint.” www.saveurdumaroc.co.uk
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewOrganic Orange Blossom Water – SAVEUR DU MAROC
Added August 5th, 2015
A taste of Saveur du Maroc’s organic orange blossom water transported one judge back to “walking through orange groves in Sicily” while others marvelled at its beautiful aroma and fresh taste. Described as “alive with flavour”, the water is produced using fresh ingredients and centuries-old hand processing techniques. www.saveurdumaroc.co.uk
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewLemon Curd – HILLSIDE FOODS
Added August 5th, 2015
Hillside Foods has come up trumps with its take on the classic lemon, with plenty of citrus zing and an appealing golden yellow colour. “Thick, sharp and sweet from to start and finish,” said the judges, who decreed that the Devon-based producer had “nailed it”. www.hillsidefoods.co.uk
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewStoney Cross – LYBURN FARMHOUSE CHEESEMAKERS
Added August 5th, 2015
Likened by its maker to a French Tomme de Savoie, Stoney Cross is matured for 3-4 months. Judges liked the “pleasant creamy and lactic notes” from this mould-ripened cheese, which is made on Lyburn Farm, near Salisbury, using the farm’s own pasteurised cows’ milk. www.lyburncheese.co.uk
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewGloucester Old Spot spare rib pork joint – MARTINS MEATS
Added August 5th, 2015
“Top joint, great flavour”, was the conclusion about this “juicy” spare rib of pork. The veins of fat lend this joint moisture and depth of flavour but also a succulent melting texture. The Gloucester Old Spot breed also produces top-notch crackling. www.martinsmeats.com
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewLonghorn rib of beef – MARTINS MEATS
Added August 5th, 2015
This “proper” Longhorn rib was extremely well-received. The marbling of juicy fat came in for particular praise, while judges also commented on the tenderness and flavour, assisted by plenty of fat running through the meat. www.martinsmeats.com
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewJacobs Ladder – MARTINS MEATS
Added August 5th, 2015
With comments including “melt in the mouth” and “fat, fat, fat!”, the judges were clearly seduced by these beef short ribs, particularly the tenderness, the rich and long-lasting flavour and, of course, the covering of appetising fat. www.martinsmeats.com
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewOrganic Double Cream – JESS’S LADIES ORGANIC FARM MILK
Added August 5th, 2015
Judges really enjoyed this extra thick cream, which is made by hand from organic and unhomogenised milk. It was commended for its “clean, fresh and long lasting milk taste” and its mouthfeel. “It coats the mouth and leaves a milk taste, not an overpowering animal aftertaste, which some creams do,” they said. www.theladiesorganicmilk.co.uk
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewM’hencha Moroccan Pastry Cake (Orange, Date & Cinnamon) – THE M’HENCHA COMPANY
Added August 5th, 2015
This Moroccan-style cake bowled judges over with its crisp brick pastry and frangipane “bursting with beautifully balanced flavours” of North Africa. The panel enthused about this “moreish” cake, which is sweet but not too sweet and can served hot or cold. www.themhenchacompany.co.uk
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewWest Country Choice PGI Tomahawk Rib Steak – DAWN MEATS (UK)
Added August 5th, 2015
This bone-in steak produced a rapturous response around the table. The “melt-in-the-mouth, creamy texture” together with the “rich, grassy and buttery flavour” really got the judges’ palates going. “That might be the best steak you’ll ever have,” said one judge. www.dawnmeats.com
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewMadagascar Milk 58% Chocolate – PUMP STREET BAKERY
Added August 5th, 2015
Handmade in small batches from bean-to-bar, this Madagascar chocolate bar was deemed “a scrummy premium milk chocolate with a hint of pepper”. Judges also appreciated the well balanced flavours and the “exceptional” finish. www.pumpstreetbakery.com
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewFree Range Belly Pork – REDHILL FARM FREE RANGE PORK
Added August 5th, 2015
Exclamations such as “scrummy” and “full of flavour” were heard around this judging table. The clarity and intensity of flavour in this belly pork enamoured the judges, who declared that this is “how pork should be”. The “moist” and “juicy” crackling also wowed the panel. www.redhillfarm.com
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewHalcyon Imperial IPA – THORNBRIDGE BREWERY
Added August 5th, 2015
It was the directness and depth of this honey-coloured beer that won the judges’ approval. Although it is strong (ABV 7.4%), Halcyon is “bright, fresh and almost tropical” on the nose with a big dry hoppy flavour that fills the mouth. www.thornbridgebrewery.co.uk
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewJaipur IPA – THORNBRIDGE BREWERY
Added August 5th, 2015
This hoppy India Pale Ale (ABV 5.9%) is a regular Great Taste three star winner and a former winner of the Best Speciality from the Midlands & East Anglia (2012). Jaipur has made the Top 50 this year thanks to its balance of grains and hops, “beautiful” amber hue and the floral honeysuckle notes on […]
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewArtisan Crispbread (Original – Medium with Hole) – PETER’S YARD
Added August 5th, 2015
“The best biscuit for cheese out there”, said the judges of these Swedish-style rye crispbreads. Each one is baked by hand using naturally fermenting sourdough, organic flour, honey, salt and fresh milk. The end result is “deliciously malty”. www.petersyard.com
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewBeauvale – CROPWELL BISHOP CREAMERY
Added August 5th, 2015
Made from pasteurised cows’ milk, this blue cheese was applauded for its “creaminess and crumbliness without being too curdy”, as well as it long finish and enduring taste. With hints of “granny’s milking room” on the nose, this “moreish” cheese would be welcome on any judge’s cheeseboard. www.cropwellbishopstilton.com
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewMonument Soft Bitter – TYNE BANK BREWERY
Added August 5th, 2015
Brewed with English hops, Tyne Bank Brewery’s Monument Soft Bitter is very drinkable, according to the judges. This is a winner from beginning to end – a “good chestnutty, amber colour”, floral and hoppy on the nose, clean and smooth in the mouth and a “lingering dry finish”. www.tynebankbrewery.co.uk
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewShirgar Welsh salted butter – GOWER VIEW FOODS
Added August 5th, 2015
“Butter doesn’t get much better than this”, proclaimed the judges. The butter’s balance of sweet notes and saltiness was likened to alchemy with judges identifying notes of malt and caramel. www.gowerviewfoods.co.uk
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewBanana Habanero – MR VIKKIS
Added August 5th, 2015
This handmade rich banana sweet pickle is full of fruit but lives up to its hot billing and isn’t for the faint-hearted. The texture is spot on and the combination of sweet banana and chilli leaves a “marvellous lingering heat” in the mouth. No wonder this condiment (2013’s Best Speciality from the North) is a […]
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewFiocco Fiocco – GREEDY LITTLE PIG
Added August 5th, 2015
Greedy Little Pig dry cures this small muscle taken from the hind leg of a pig, using sea salt and black brewer’s grain to create Fiocco. It impressed judges with its buttery texture and texture and balance “sweet, slightly smoky and complex” flavours. www.greedylittlepig.co.uk
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewPassion fruit & tarragon sorbet – BECKLEBERRYS
Added August 5th, 2015
It might not sound it but the flavours in this sorbet – made by the 2008 Great Taste Supreme Champion – were declared to be a “marriage made in heaven” by the judges. The bright acidity of passion fruit and the aniseed hit of tarragon all play their part to create a product that is […]
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewRock Rose Gin – DUNNET BAY DISTILLERS
Added August 5th, 2015
The judges certainly enjoyed this hand-crafted gin, produced in mainland Britain’s most northerly distillery in Caithness. Described as “clean, crisp and zesty” with a “wonderful scent of citrus”, the gin is made with local botanicals that vary with changes in the climate. www.rockrosegin.co.uk
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewSmoked Gigha Halibut – GIGHA HALIBUT
Added August 5th, 2015
From the crystal clear waters off Gigha in the Hebrides, this smoked halibut has a “delicate balance between salt and oceanic flavour” with a fresh finish. One judge considered this to be “one of the finest smoked products of 2015”. www.gighahalibut.co.uk
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewOriginal Cheese Sablés – THE PEA GREEN BOAT
Added August 5th, 2015
The product is the result of a family quest to produce the best cheese biscuit in the world and it looks to have succeeded. These “intensely cheesy” sablés went down very well with the judges who liked the “crunchy but light” texture and full-on cheddar flavour. www.thepeagreenboat.com
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewHot smoked salmon – CREELERS SMOKED PRODUCTS
Added August 5th, 2015
Slowly roasted on the Isle of Arran in an oven full of whisky smoke, Creelers’ “vibrant and bold” hot smoked salmon charmed judges with its “moist, meaty” texture, rounded mouthfeel and well-executed cure. www.creelers.co.uk
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewShropshire Blue – COLSTON BASSETT DAIRY
Added August 5th, 2015
Colston Bassett’s Shropshire Blue has a buttery, paste-like texture but balances its creaminess with a sharpness and acidity from its blue veins, which judges said were distributed well throughout. They said this “very munchable” cheese would work equally well with a pint of beer, a crisp white wine or a dry cider. www.colstonbassettdairy.co.uk
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewDried Porcini Mushrooms – GET FUNGHI
Added August 5th, 2015
Get Funghi handpicks its top quality wild porcini (Boletus Edulis) in West Sweden. The pickers sort, slice and dry their “woodland treasure” on the same day for maximum flavour conservation. While their nutty and umami flavours found favour, the mushrooms’ texture and mouthfeel also impressed judges, who labelled them a store cupboard essential. www.getfunghi.co.uk
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewSmoked Irish Organic Salmon cured with Irish Atlantic Sea Salt – QUINLAN’S KERRYFISH
Added August 5th, 2015
“A taste of the coastline, rock pools and sea weed”, this evocative smoked salmon’s firm texture, fresh taste and well-balanced cure ticked every judging box. www.kerryfish.com
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewIrish Farmhouse Country Butter – CUINNEOG
Added August 5th, 2015
It’s not often you hear butter described as “gorgeous, subtle and enticing” but that’s what judges thought of Cuinneog’s efforts. Produced using pasteurised cream and a little salt, this butter impressed with its complexity – sweet and rich with a hint of cream cheese tang. www.cuinneog.com
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewSmoked Irish Organic Salmon – QUINLAN’S KERRYFISH
Added August 5th, 2015
The close grains, succulent melting texture and fresh taste of this salmon were deemed exemplary for a farmed fish. The experience is completed by the “awesome” notes of the smokehouse and seaweed on the nose. www.kerryfish.com
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewBeef Dripping – JAMES WHELAN BUTCHERS
Added August 5th, 2015
This beef dripping is made from the suet of grass-fed Angus and Hereford beef, rendered down and clarified into a pure fat. Although it is a simple, traditional product, the dripping evoked a great deal of nostalgia among the judges, who enjoyed its meaty flavour and the balance of sweet and savouriness. “A pure distillation […]
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewWild Sika Venison French Rack – BARONSCOURT ESTATE
Added August 5th, 2015
Baronscourt Estate was commended for this “buttery” venison rack. The judges were seduced by the “toasty, wild, hay and offal” notes on the palate and the meat’s long lasting flavour. www.barons-court.com
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewBarrel Aged Feta PDO – ROUSSAS DAIRY
Added August 5th, 2015
Made using pasteurised sheep’s and goats’ milk, this barrel-aged feta was applauded for its “clean and vibrant flavour, with a lemon finish”. The panel also enjoyed the acidity, saltiness and creaminess of the cheese, which has EU Protected Designation of Origin status. www.roussas.gr
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewArtzai Gazta Idiazabal – BASAZABAL ARTZAI GAZTA IDIAZABAL
Added August 5th, 2015
The “wonderfully clean, sour” flavour and “gently crumbly” texture of this classic Basque Country raw sheep’s milk cheese is complimented by a delicate aftertaste that wowed all of the judges. www.artzai-gazta.net
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewWild Oak Honey – EULOGIA OF SPARTA
Added August 5th, 2015
The judges compared tasting this wild oak honey – collected in Greece’s central Peloponnese region, – to “licking nectar from trees”. The complex honey also boasts strong “woodland”, “oak” and “herbal” flavours and just a hint of “salted caramel”, which would make it ideal with blue cheese. www.eulogiausa.com
Show me more ▶ Watch the video review75% Criollo Cocoa (Madagascar) – AKESSON’S
Added August 5th, 2015
A second winner made with organic criollo cocoa from the Ambolikapiky plantation in Madagascar, this 75% cocoa solids bar delivered dried fruit and raisins on the nose, clean flavours and a silky finish. www.akessons-organic.com
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewLord London – ALSOP AND WALKER
Added August 5th, 2015
This semi-soft cows’ milk cheese first intrigued judges with its unique and “beautiful tetilla shape”, before the “beautiful texture” seduced their palates. It caused a collective “yum” around the table, thanks to its creamy, clean flavour and a fresh milky aftertaste. www.alsopandwalker.co.uk
Show me more ▶ Watch the video review75% Forastero Cocoa & Coffee Nibs (Brazil) – AKESSON’S
Added August 5th, 2015
The coffee flavours from the nibs complement the natural flavour of the “rich but not bitter” 75% cocoa chocolate in this bar, according to the panel. The chocolate – made from Forastero beans from the famed Sempre Firme plantation in Brazil – was also said to boast the perfect snap. www.akessons-organic.com
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewVilberie medium dry cider – APPLE COUNTY CIDER CO
Added August 5th, 2015
This lightly sparkling single variety cider is made with 100% juice from Vilberie bittersweet cider apples. This “grown up” cider’s carbonation and the level of tannins drew praise from the judges, who also enjoyed the balance of sweet and dry and its “clean, crisp and refreshing taste”. www.applecountycider.co.uk
Show me more ▶ Watch the video review75% Trinitario Cocoa (Bali) – AKESSON’S
Added August 5th, 2015
Akesson’s “sophisticated” 75% cocoa solids organic single plantation chocolate – made from Trinitario beans grown in the Sukrama farms in Bali – bowled the panel over with a “instant hit of dark chocolate in the mouth”, smoothness and a bitterness-free finish. www.akessons-organic.com
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewArgan Oil – ARGANIC
Added August 5th, 2015
Described by judges as “evocative and nostalgic”, Arganic’s oil also left a “memory of chocolate” on their palates. With a combination of “sesame, hazelnut and vanilla” notes coming through, the judges felt that this 100% pure cold pressed oil would work well with both sweet and savoury dishes. www.myarganic.co.uk
Show me more ▶ Watch the video reviewGlen Marnoch Islay Single Malt Whisky – ALDI UK
Added August 5th, 2015
One judge boldly proclaimed this single malt was his “new favourite whisky”. The marriage of “intense smokiness and sweet honey” astounded judges and they were equally surprised by the “warm and smooth” finish.
Show me more ▶ Watch the video review100% Criollo Cocoa (Madagascar) – AKESSON’S
Added August 5th, 2015
This organic single plantation chocolate bar is made from 100% criollo cocoa solids, harvested on the Ambolikapiky plantation in Madagascar. When tasting, the panel hailed a “technical marvel” and was astonished by the fact that this was 100% cocoa – there is no bitterness, just a rich full flavour. www.akessons-organic.com
Show me more ▶ Watch the video review