A SKY FULL OF GREAT TASTE STARS FOR FOOD NI MEMBERS
The most delicious food and drink from Northern Ireland is celebrated by Great Taste
Today, 28 July 2026, the Guild of Fine Food has announced the results of this year’s Great Taste Awards. Among theaward-winning products from Northern Ireland there were six separate coveted 3-star ‘exquisite and extraordinary’ awards for Food NI members Hannan Meats for Buttermilk Dry Cure Bacon Rack, Buttermilk Bone-In Pork Chop, Sugar Pit Buttermilk Bacon Rack and Sugar Pit Buttermilk Bacon Chop, Buttermilk Boneless Pork Loin Joint and Salt-Aged Buttermilk Bone-In Rind On Pork Belly. Peter Hannan also owns Ispini Charcuterie which was awarded 3 stars for Guanciale. There were also 3 stars for Get Er Brewed’s Low Land Oud Bruin Flemish Brown Ale and Seasur Mixed Ferm Saison and Baronscourt’s Wild Sika Venison Loin and Wild Sika Venison French Rack.
Two star awards were given to Abernethy Butter for 125g Salted Butter; Ballydown Milk Greek Style Yoghurt and Farmhouse Whole Milk ; Ben’s Ice Cream Berry Berry Strawberry; Suki Tea Black Bush Blend; Lisdergan Butchery’s Dry-Aged Saddle Back Pork Tomahawk; Morelli’s Mascarpone with Hot Honey Ice-Cream; Cavanagh Free-Range 12 Mixed Weight Eggs; Melting Pot Fudge’s Traditional Butter Fudge; Natural Umber Umber Plus; Hannan Meat’s Gluten-Free Traditional Pork and Herb Stuffing; Ispini Charcuterie Pepperoni; Morelli’s The Full Bronte Pistachio Ripple, Strawberry and Rhubarb Crumble, Panna Cotta with Hazelnut and Clotted Cream with Caramel Ice-Creams; Get Er Brewed Terre Nocturne Imperial Stout; Punjana’s Thompson’s Signature and Everyday Teas; Irish Black Butter’s Salted Caramel Sauce, Eringrove’s Classic Lemon Curd; Ispini Charcuterie’s Whiskey-Spiced Wagyu Breasaola and Hannan Meats Sugar Pit Buttermilk Bacon Loin.
There were 1 star awards for dozens of members including Lisdergan Butchery’s 28 Day Dry Aged Sirloin and Rib Steaks; Eringrove’s Apple Jelly with Cloves; Dundarave Estate Apple Juice; Hannan Meat’s Beef Tomato and Onion Gluten-Free Sausage, Buttermilk Dry-Cured Back Bacon, Buttermilk Bone-In Pork Rack, French-Trimmed, Pork Chilli and Honey Gluten-Free Sausage, Buttermilk Dry-Cured Streaky Bacon and Pork and Cranberry Gluten Free Stuffing; Mash Direct Skinny Fries; Abernethy’s Buckwheat Butter; Blackfire Food’s Honey Sriracha; Burren Balsamic’s Truffle and Porcini Salt, Black Garlic Infused, Raspberry Infused, and Blackcurrant Infused Balsamic Vinegars of Modena; Creighton’s of Balmoral Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Soup; Melting Pot Fudge Madagascar Vanilla; Ispini’s Garlic and Black Pepper Salami and Nduja; Draynes Farm Madagascan Vanilla, and Coconut Dairy Ice Creams; Long Meadow’s Sparkling Apple Juice; Tempted Cider Company Strawberry Cider; Tartine at Distillers Arms’ Gary’s Jam’s Blueberry and Apple Jam; Granny Shaw’s Seasalt and Caramel Fudge and Peanut Brittle; White’s Speedicook Porridge Oats; Morelli’s Mango Sorbet and Rose and Pistachio with Kataifi Ice Cream; Glens of Antrim Shindigs’ Crinkle Cut Sour Cream and Shamrock Potato Crisps; Forest Feast Salt and Vinegar Roasted Nut Mix, Pink Lady® Apple Wedges, Chilli and Fennel Nut Mix; L’Artisan Foods’ Short Rib Fritters; Our Brewery’s Frankie and Eileen’s Craft Gin, Do You Wanna Funk NEIPA, Untamed Wild Ale VI, In Tension Rhubarb Saison, Its Own Pace Red Flanders, Souvenir de Cassis and Pressure to Pick Italian Pilsner’ Moorcroft Foods’ Fenners Clean and Cured Air Dried Steak and Chilli Air-Dried Biltong and Coopers Chilli Biltong; Morelli’s Cherry Cheesecake, Clotted Cream with Butter Fudge and Chocolate Brownies Ice-Creams; Dukes’ White Chocolate and Pistachio Premium Ice Cream; Lough Neagh Fisherman’s Coop Society Wild Caught Smoked Lough Neagh Trout Fillets; Whoosh Thai Satay Rice Noodles; Yellow Door Portadown Malted Sourdough; Grove Dairy’s Buttermilk and Semi-Skimmed Milk, Thompson’s Punjana Tea; Baronscourt Estate Wild Sika Venison Burger; and Glastry Farm Mango and Passionfruit Sorbet.
The much sought after, and distinctive, black and gold logo is recognised by 58% of the UK adult population. Of those adults, 74% say a Great Taste award makes a product more tempting, 73% say the logo is a trustworthy recommendation and 54% use Great Taste as a signpost for discovering new products (YouGov, December 2025).
Over 105 days, across the Guild’s judging rooms in London, Dorset, Ireland and Italy, over 800 industry experts took part in the unique judging process that makes Great Taste the most respected food and drink accreditation scheme in the world. The panel included chefs, critics, product developers, retailers, writers, and other specialists from the world of food and drink. They were presented with each product stripped of all branding, packaging and other identifying features, and had to unanimously decide what rating to give it.
Taste is considered first and foremost, followed by appearance, aroma, texture, and mouthfeel. Each entry is judged on its own merit and not compared to others in the same class. A short factual description from the producer helps guide the judgement with any relevant information.
Perhaps the least well-known element of Great Taste is the judges’ feedback which is shared with the producers irrespective of whether they have achieved a star-rating. This constructive analysis can be instrumental in product development, helping producers refine recipes, improve consistency, and understand how their products perform in a competitive market.
John Farrand, managing director, Guild of Fine Food, comments: “Food security is becoming an increasingly pressing issue across the globe, so it feels more pertinent now than at any other time in our thirty-year history to be supporting and promoting independent producers and retailers. Our directory of award recipients is a rich source of data, guiding people from all walks of life to make informed decisions about their food & drink choices. Great Taste is all about celebrating craftmanship and dedication to well-sourced local ingredients and traditional, often simple production methods which is more important now than ever.”
Congratulations to all our members!
