The Great Taste Awards (GTA), founded by the Guild of Fine Foods, whose HQ is in Gillingham, is the world’s largest and most respected food accreditation scheme for artisan and speciality food and drink producers. And it is based purely on taste. This year’s 13,672 entries, submitted from 115 countries, were considered by the palates of more than 500 food and drink experts. Across 92 judging days in Dorset and London, they conducted comprehensive blind taste tests on a huge range of products from bacon to bonbons; 5,590 were given GTA stars, including 266 3-stars accolades. Dorset food and drink producers gained either a Great Taste 1-, 2- or 3-star award for 53 products. Here are our four GTA 3-star winners.
Baboo Gelato have won many Great Taste Awards for their artisanal sorbets and ice creams. The family run business was set up by Annie Hanbury, a trained gelatiere, in 2015 using gluts of locally grown fruit. This gelato, made in Rampisham, had the judges swooning over ‘this richly dark and velvety gelato full of cocoa on the nose. The texture is smooth, rich and velvety on the palate with a hint of bitterness from really good chocolate. Then more surprising are the crunches of chocolate unseen to the eye, just leaving you wanting more! Beautifully crafted and just sublime.’ Find this award-winner at their outlets in Lyme Regis, Morcombelake, West Bay, Swanage and Weymouth. Free delivery to local postcodes baboogelato.com
This award-winning pie was created by Cass Titcombe the talented chef and co-owner of Brassica (with wife Louise Chidgey), a family-run restaurant in the heart of Beaminster. They also have a bakery and production kitchen, Brassica Forno, in Bridport’s East Street, where they make Brassica Handmade Meals, seasonal dishes, ready to heat and eat at home. This pie went down extremely well with the judges who declared it to be ‘a sumptuous pie, with flaky layers a-plenty’ with a ‘mouth-watering aroma.’ They described it as ‘Generously filled with delicious chicken that looks like it has been stripped off a carcass as opposed to generic chunks. The sauce is very well-balanced with judicious use of tarragon...well-seasoned throughout and beautifully balanced on the finish.’ Order this award-winning pie at brassicaforno.co.uk
Dorset Pastry, regularly win accolades for their traditionally made, additive- and preservative-free pastry range which includes, puff, short crust and sweet short crust. It was founded by Moira Blake in 2001 after she struggled to find high quality, all butter puff pastry in the shops, and certainly nothing close to organic pastry. They were also the first producer of Organic Puff Pastry in the world. The judges described their puff pastry as ‘light and airy’ and particularly loved the layers that appeared on cutting. They commented that ‘The hit of butter on the nose was both comforting and warming. The flavour on the palate is faultless. Whether filled with sweet or savoury items, the balance would not be disrupted. Brilliant.’ Order online or find in farm shops dorsetpastry.com
This Cranborne cheesemaking business, started by Peter Morgan in 2019, has picked up numerous Great Taste Awards. But the Cranborne Blue, developed during lockdown in partnership with a local farm that was struggling to sell all its milk, is their first Great Taste Award 3-star winner. Judges described it as a ‘handsome looking cheese with a most enjoyable, gentle flavour... the sort of cheese that gets finished off when it is brought to the table.’ Another judge raved about the ‘appealing craggy grey exterior rind to this cheese, which has a pale ivory paste and blue veining. The cheese offers aromas of pasture and spiciness. The paste has a slight acid tone, and the blueing is delicate yet palpable. A delightful balance exists between the creamy milkiness and the spice. A session cheese.’ Sounds like Cranborne Blue is one to have on your Dorset cheeseboard this Christmas! Buy this award-winner at thebookandbucketcheesecompany.co.uk, or find in local farm shops and delis.
Dorset 1-star GTA winners: Raspberry Gelato & Passionfruit Sorbet (baboogelato.com); Aubergine Parmigiana (brassica.uk); Timmy’s Chocolate Orange & Chai Spice (chococo.co.uk); Raspberry & Turmeric Kombucha (curiouskombucha.co.uk; Dorset Cereals Berry Granola, Dorset Cereals Luscious Berry & Cherry Muesli & Dorset Cereals Simply Fruity Muesli (dorsetcereals.co.uk); Premium All Butter Sweet Short Crust Pastry (dorsetpastry.com); Natural Dorset Sea Salt Flakes & Rosemary Dorset Sea Salt (dorsetseasalt.co.uk); Fish Pie, Dressed Crab & Smoked Haddock and Leek Fishcake (dorset-shellfish.co.uk); Ezpresso – Kenyan (ezpresso.com); Winter Nights (grounded-coffee.com); Outland Hazy Ginger Pale Ale & Badger Cranborne Poacher (hall-woodhouse.co.uk); Lemon & Ginger Meringue Roulade (lavenderbluebakery.co.uk); Hazelnut Delight (levoco.co.uk); Christmas Pudding (lizziebakingbird.co.uk); Poppyseed Dressing (mrsmacks.co.uk); Meggy Moo's Traditional Set Natural Yoghurt (meggymoosdairy.co.uk); Pestiko (pestiko.co.uk); Sumatra Bourbon Espresso (Readscoffee.co.uk); Roberts Dorset - Sage and Onion Keto Panko Rind Crumb (sct-sct.com); Sardine Dolmades (seasisters.co.uk); Smoked Honey & Whisky Sriracha (skinnymalinkys.co.uk); Classic Kampot Spice Blend (stonygroves.co.uk); Hardys Cheese (thebookandbucketcheesecompany.co.uk); Apple Juice with a Ginger Kick (dorsetginger.ltd); Triple Chocolate Brownie (thelittlehousedorset.com).
Find the full list at greattasteawards.co.uk
