From a top-rated salted caramel sauce, to some of the best tasting cider in the county, some Worcestershire food producers have scooped themselves a Great Taste award this year.
Great Taste are regarded as one of the world’s most trusted food and drink awards- if you see a Great Taste logo on any products, it’s likely to be exceptional.
Out of a massive 12,777 entries , 42% were awarded with a Great Taste accolade- and 36 were awarded to Worcestershire producers.
Will you be adding any of these products to your next shopping list?
How is food rated?
This year’s food, drinks and treats were found by a group of judges who have been putting their tastebuds to the test since the first week of lockdown.
Awards are based on a variety of factors, from the texture and appearance to the quality of ingredients.
3-star: Extraordinarily tasty foods – only around 1.5% of products are awarded a 3-star each year – don’t leave the shop without buying it!
2-star: Above and beyond delicious – 10% of entries will achieve this rating
1-star: A food that delivers fantastic flavour. Approximately 30% of entries will achieve this rating each year.
Worcestershire’s Great Taste winners
Three Worcestershire producers received a top three-star accolade for their food and drink products.
One was Fletchers Cider for their 1802 vintage cider which was described by judges as “a drink to be savoured and celebrated”.
With notes of “toffee and caramel, moving through butterscotch to smoke and bonfires”, they added that this 3-year matured cider is “well worth waiting for.”
A spokesperson for the company said: “We are over the moon about winning three stars for our vintage this year.
“Clearly we make some of the best cider in the country but it’s only available locally so people should really try a multi award winning local Worcestershire cider!”
That isn’t the only drinkable product to have claimed a top position- The Coffee Collaborative’s Genius Blend coffee also received a top award.
Curated from the finest Nicaraguan, Honduran, Sumatran and Ethiopian varietals, this whole bean espresso coffee wowed the judges, with comments including “the beans are generous and uniform in size and the roast is even. The aromas are of the spice and fruit. The taste is extraordinary, with sparkling fruit on the finish.”
If you prefer the sweeter things in life, then make sure to check out the Bromsgrove-based bakery, #nom.
(Facebook/@hashtagnombaking)
Their Droitwich Salted Caramel sauce is made using a brine salt extracted from beneath Droitwich town and double cream from a local dairy.
Judges described it as “thick and smooth, creamy and salty - so perfectly pitched.” They went on to call it “spot on”, “delicious”, “divine” and “glamorous”, the smile on the judges' faces said it all.
The awards didn’t stop there for #nom, as they also received a one-star rating for their Droitwich Salted Caramel Flapjacks- and they look absolutely delicious.
Plenty of Worcestershire producers also scooped two star awards, including Severn Spots Ltd’s Tuscan Salami. This Worcester based company and farm season their signature salami with red wine, fennel, pepper & garlic.
You can also get your hands on a Great Taste award winning Oxford Marmalade from Worcester’s Cakebole Orchard Produce.
Ross & Ross Gifts also received a two-star accolade for their Espresso & Ale Sauce and Droitwich-based Macneil's Smokehouse were praised for their Smoked Mackerel Fillets.
Smoked Mackerel Fillets (Facebook/Macneil’s Smokehouse)
Drinks were also judged at the Great Taste Awards, including Pershore College WCG’s Russet Apple Juice.
If you prefer an alcoholic tipple, make sure to give the following award-winning drinks a go. The Sweet Potato Spirit Company were accredited for their Sweet Potato London Dry Gin which is infused with juniper, cardamom, coriander and lemon zest.
(Instagram/@sweetpotatospiritcompany)
The Hop Shed also got a double gold-star rating for their Phoenix porter, which is described as a bitter-sweet dark ale created with hints of chocolate malt, molasses and Phoenix hops.
Great Taste Awards: One-star winners
25 Worcestershire products were given a one-star rating and were said to deliver fantastic flavours.
Have you tried any of these award-winning products? Let us know in the comments.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here