THE results of the 2022 Great Taste Awards, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, based in Gillingham, include 529 Great Taste star products from the south west.

From blood orange marmalade to hot and cold smoked salmon and kimchi, the awards demonstrate the amazing variety and creativity of food producers around the region, the country and the world!

Producers in the south west  were awarded a total of 29 three-star awards, 159 two-stars and 341 one-stars. Less than two per cent of the 14,205 entries in 2022 received a three-star award, given for “extraordinarily tasty food & drink”.

The Great Taste judging panel is made up of moe than 500 food and drink professionals – critics, chefs, recipe creators, buyers, retailers, journalists, broadcasters and other experts in the field. This year’s panel included buyers from Selfridges, Whole Foods, Fortnum & Mason and Waitrose, BBC Good Food editor Keith Kendrick, delicious magazine editor Karen Barnes, Bake Off contestant and author Chetna Makan, MasterChef Professionals finalist Santosh Shah, food and drink consultant Mallika Basu, the BBC’s Nigel Barden, restaurateurs Kavi Thakrar (Dishoom) and Amy Poon (Poon’s), journalists Felicity Cloake, Xanthe Clay and Joanna Blythman, and food writers Gill Meller, Melissa Thompson and Georgina Hayden.

John Farrand, managing director at the Guild of Fine Food said: “It’s been another exceptional year of high quality, innovation, and creativity. We’re seeing a steady increase in plant-based products year-on-year and the fermented and functional foods are really starting to hold their own in terms of taste.

“I was extremely impressed to see that many of the entries have come from businesses which started trading in the last year or two. These are companies who incorporated in the middle of the most challenging period in economic and social history – and they’re thriving. Growing a business and a brand in the food industry has so many variables to consider from standards to policies, learning to sell and market your products, and that’s before you think about aiming for excellence in the taste and flavour of your products. I have the utmost admiration for them all.”

The highest scoring producers go through to the regional finals and the winners and the supreme champion will be announced at the Golden Fork ceremony on Monday 5th September at Southwark Cathedral.

Three star winners from the FTR area include: Durslade Farm Shop t/a  Artfarm Ltd, Bruton, air dried beef, beef x wagyu short ribs, and leg of lamb;
Beanpress Coffee of Winterborne Kingston, Rainbow Juice; Cakesmiths, Bristol, Apricot and Pistachio Frangipane; Coombe Farm Organic, Roundham near Crewkerne, whole goose; Hollis Mead Organic Dairy, Corscombe, Benville organic triple cream Brie-style cheese and two one-star awards; Mr Filberts, West Pennard, Moroccan spiced almonds;
Swoon Gelato, Bristol and Bath, Crunchy Pistachio, Chocolate Sorbetto; Somerset Cider Brandy Co, Kingsbury Episcopi, Pomona.

Two star winners include: Ajar Of  Hazelbury Bryan, Jumbleberry Jam with Cassis and one-star awards for Dorset Raspberry Jam and Black Garlic Ketchup.
Durslade Farm Shop, Durslade Summer Honey, piccalilli, beef x Wagyu Cote de Boeuf, rack of lamb, grass-fed Wagyu x sirloin steaks, Boerewors,  Durslade Farm potted beef with wild horseradish and 14 one-star awards; Baboo Gelato, West Bay, Madagascan Vanilla Gelato, Strawberry Gelato, Brandy Gelato; Bad Hand Coffee, Bournemouth, Shaka Espresso; BeanCraft Chocolate, Bradford on Avon, Orangettes; Blackmore Vale Butchery, Henstridge, Tomahawk Steak; Brown Cow Organics, Pilton, high protein Greek style organic yoghurt, Kefir fermented ginger yoghurt; Cakesmiths, Bristol, Burnt Basque cheesecake, malted chocolate stout torte; Capreolus, Rampisham, Guanciale. and seven one-star awards;
Chococo, Wareham, 80% Uganda origin hot chocolate flakes, Speculoos Caramel, Molasses and Brown Butter Caramel, and three one-star products; Craft House Chocolate,  Somerton, 70% Papua New Guinea Karkar Island dark chocolate, Nicaragua O’Payo, 100% dark chocolate; Fussells, Frome, garlic extra virgin rapeseed oil; Gingerbeard Preserves, Bristol, original lime pickle; Lyburn Farmhouse Cheesemakers, Langford near Salisbury, Old Winchester; Madjeston Milk Station, Gillingham, pasteurised unhomogenised whole milk; Meggy Moo’s Dairy, Iwerne Courtney, sea-salted butter and peppered butter; Mr Filbert’s Fine Foods, Somerset Applewood Smoked Mixed Nuts and French Rosemary Almonds; Mure Liqueurs, by Mat Follas, Dorchester, Properly Bitter Lemon Liqueur and Old Tom Liqueur; Plum Duff & Stuff, Taunton, traditional marmalade; Purbeck Ice Cream, Corfe Castle, Ecuadorian Dark 72% Chocolate Bar with Natural Peppermint; Salt of the Earth Smokery, Southwick near Trowbridge, signature cold-smoked salmon, home bake hot smoke salmon; Somerset Charcuterie Ltd, Wrington, red wine and Draycott Blue cheese pokers; Somerset Cider Brandy Company, 10-year-old Somerset Cider Brandy; Swoon Gelato, Bristol and Bath, Amaretto Gelato with caramelised almonds and five one-stars; The Dorset Ginger Company, Lytchett Matravers, Dorset Ginger Original, Dorset Ginger Extra Strong; Trethowans Dairy, Hewish near Weston-super-Mare, Pitchfork Cheddar, Gorwydd Caerphilly; the Wasabi Company, Wareham, dried Donko Organic Shiitake Mushrooms; White Lake Cheese, Bagborough near Shepton Mallet, Fetish,  Katherine and four one-star awards; Worley’s Cider, Shepton Mallet, Special Reserve Keeved Somerset Cider bottle-conditioned.

The full list of this year’s winners and where to buy them can be found at www.greattasteawards.co.uk – a wide range of the award-winning products are available to buy in delis, farm shops and independent retail outlets across the country.