A GALAXY OF GREAT TASTE STARS 2025 FOR FOOD NI MEMBERS
GetErBrewed wins 3 3-star awards!
There was the now-customary fine showing at the Great Taste Awards from Food NI
members- thus solidifying the region’s reputation as a serious food and drink destination.
Amongst the Food NI member winners were: three products from Our Brewery @
Geterbrewed including Barrel Aged Wild Ale VI, Barrel Aged Oud Bruin Brown Ale and
Razma – Barrel Aged Keptinis Beer.
Other Food NI member 3-star products included Cep Miso Butter from Abernethy Butter,
Basalt Volcanic Rock Gin, Blackberry and Thyme Infused Balsamic of Modena from Burren
Balsamics, Kettyle Salt-Moss Aged Rib Eye Steak, Rooney Fish Milbay Oysters and
Morelli’s Sicilian Pistachio Ice Cream.
2- star winners include Burren Balsamics’ Proper Digestives, Basalt Volcanic Rock Gin and
Basalt Volcanic Rock Vodka; both from Basalt Distillery, Cavanagh Free Range 6 Large
Eggs, Clandeboye Estate Greek Style Yoghurt, Cookie Jar Wheaten Bread, Daisies Drinking
Chocolate 70 %, Golden Popcorn’s Gourmet Crunch Thai Sweet Chilli, Natural Umber’s
Umber Plus, Kestrel Foods (Forest Feast)’s Just Live a Little Cocoa and Toasted Hazelnut
Granola, Morelli’s Clotted Cream Ice Cream with Maple Variegato and Caramelised Pecans,
Morelli’s Cherry Frozen Yoghurt, Our Brewery (GetErBrewed)’s Séasúr Barrel-Aged Mixed
Ferm Saison; Prime Time of Your Life Belgian Triple, Light Up Gold West Coast IPA, Do You
Wanna Funk? NEIPA and Terra Nocturne Barrel Aged Imperial Stout. There were also 2
stars for Quails Fine Foods 21 Day Himalayan Salt Aged Leg of Lamb, Scotts Crispy Onions
in Gluten-Free Steak Flavour, Kettyle’s Salt Moss Aged Striploin Steak, Granny Shaw’s
Fudge Factory: Salted Caramel Sauce, Ispini Charcuterie: Sobrasada and Moorcroft Foods:
Fenner’s Original Air-Dried Steak Biltong
There were dozens of 1-star awards for Food NI members including Burren Balsamics. who
took 4 1 stars for Za’atar and Date Infused Balsamic Vinegar of Modena; Strawberry and Mint
White Wine Vinegar; Irish Heritage Apple Infused White Condiment and Citrus-Infused Pearl
Bursts while Cavanagh Free Range Eggs won a 1 star for 12 Mixed Weight Eggs.
Other 1-star winning products were Crawford’s Rock Seaweed Company’s Vegan Hot
Honey; Draynes Farm Double Cream; Whipping Cream; Whole Milk; Semi-Skimmed Milk;
Pure Bainne Dairy Ice Cream; Honeycrumb Crunch Dairy Ice Cream and Achill Island Sea
Salt Caramel Dairy Ice Cream. Dukes’ Ultra-Premium Ice Cream Sloe Gin flavour won a star.
Dundarave Estate won a star each for Bushmills Whiskey Vanilla Fudge, Original BBQ
Sauce and Rich Coffee Rub. Embark Protein Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar won 1 star
as did Indie Fude Dunville’s Fig Chutney made by En Place. Favourit Foods won a star each
with their “Perfect for Air Fryer” Fajita Seasoning, BBQ Seasoning and Cajun Seasoning.
French Village’s Potato Bread took a star as did Glens of Antrim Potatoes with their Lir Red
Crest Irish Whiskey. Golden Popcorn were successful again. They took 1 star each for their
Gourmet Crunch Irish Sea Salt and Balsamic Vinegar, and Gourmet Crunch. There was a 1-
star award for Irwin’s Bakery Wheaten Bread. Jackson Roze’s Vegan Ginger Wine and
Ginger and Turmeric Shot both won 1 star. Kestrel Foods (Forest Feast) won a star each for
Indie Bay Pretzel Thins and 60% Cocoa dark Chocolate Sour Cherries. Lecale Harvest’s
Confit Duck was awarded 1 star as was Maud’s Pistachio Ice Cream, Melting Pot’s Salted
Caramel Fudge and Moocha Kombucha’s Apple and Blackberry Organic Kombucha.
Morelli’s Ricotta and Caramelised Fig Ice Cream was also awarded 1 star.
There were yet more accolades for GetErBrewed with a star each for their Orderly Fashion
Rice Lager; The Crunch Brown Ale; Once in a Lifetime Oatmeal Stout and Frank and
Eileen’s Craft Gin.
Partie de Moi’s Omi and Pumpkin Spice Seasonings each won a star as did Paula
McIntyre’s Rum Christmas Pudding. Punjana Ltd’s (Thompson’s) Punjana won 1 star as did
their Signature tea. Rock A Doodle Do’s sauces scored four times with White Sesame and
Nori BBQ Sauce; Mango Habanero, Whiskey in the Bottle and Snow Patrol Signal Fire.
There were also 1 stars for S’morealicious Marshmallow Fluff Dubai Pistachio Chocolate Bar
and Vanilla Marshmallow Fluff; Suki Tea’s Mango Tango Tea, Two Stacks Fruit Drops Irish
Whiskey- Blackberry Brandy Cask Finish; Wilson’s Country Naked Mash and Yellow Door
Portadown’s Plain Pancake and Apple Crostata, Moorcroft Foods – Coopers Chilli Biltong
and Coopers Garlic Biltong,; Ispini Charcuterie – Coppa, and Fennel Salami; The Lamb Van –
Lamb Burger; Granny Shaw’s – Sticky Toffee Sauce; Wavey Ice – Twisted Tropical Whiskey
Ice Pops; Creightons of Balmoral Ltd – Vegetable Broth and Burren Balsamic’s – Wild Garlic,
Salt and Pepper Mill.
This year saw a record number of entries, with 14,340 products being submitted from 110
countries across the globe.
Great Taste is recognised as the most influential food and drink accreditation scheme in the
world, not only because it was established more than 30 years ago, but also for the
robustness of its multi-layered review process. The judging panel of over 500 industry
experts, including chefs, critics, food technologists, retailers, food writers and other
specialists, pored over each product over the course of 110 days.
Every entry is judged on its own merit as a standalone product and tasted completely blind.
There is no packaging to give away provenance, no hint of who has made it, just a factual
description provided by the producer as guidance. The judges consider flavour first and
foremost, followed by appearance, aroma, texture and mouthfeel before it is determined
whether the product warrants one of the famous black and gold seals of approval.
In total 39.6% (5,680) of entries received an accolade. There were 3,899 1-star awards,
1,508 2-stars and only 273 products (1.9% of all entrants) received the coveted Great
Taste 2025 3-star award.
