Food & Drink

Dorset’s finest flavours shine in Great Taste awards

Great Taste 2024 final panel - Credit Guild of Fine Food (Sam Pelly)

By Sam Pither [email protected]

Published: July 31, 2024 | Updated: 31st July 2024

The Guild of Fine Food has unveiled the winners of the Great Taste 2024 awards, with Dorset securing a remarkable 53 awards. The county’s haul includes 38 1-star, 11 2-star, and four prestigious 3-star accolades.

Among the top Dorset winners are:

  • Great Taste 3-star: Cranborne Blue from The Book and Bucket Cheese Company
  • Great Taste 2-star: Salted Caramel Bonbons from Chocolate Arthouse
  • Great Taste 1-star: Smoked Haddock and Leek Fishcake from Dorset Shellfish

This year’s Great Taste awards attracted nearly 3,500 companies from 115 countries, entering a total of 13,672 products. The UK contributed 8,008 products from 2,528 companies. Each entry was meticulously blind-tasted by over 500 experts, including food critics, chefs, and retailers, over 92 judging days.

A mere 1.9 per cent of all entries received the coveted 3-star award, with just 266 products globally achieving this status. An additional 10.1 per cent were awarded 2-stars, while 28.8 per cent received 1-star ratings.

The 3-star winners are now in the running for the Golden Fork awards, regarded as the ‘Oscars of the food and drink world’. These will be presented at an awards ceremony at Battersea Arts Centre in London on 10 September.

John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food, said: “It’s hugely important to us at the Guild to inject some positivity into the speciality food & drink industry.

“Given the economic headwinds that both independent retailers and small & medium producers are facing, the announcement of the 2024 crop of Great Taste stars is now an annual fillip for us all.

“And it’s not just excellence from the UK, but from across the world, as we celebrate the best from 115 countries. We’re doing our bit for cultural relations across the planet when there is so much legislation trying to prevent it.

“It’s a real privilege to support and underpin independent makers through the process of Great Taste.”

The Great Taste awards are globally recognised as a mark of excellence. For a full list of this year’s winners and where to buy them, visit www.gff.co.uk/directory

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