Following 75 days of judging, the results of the Great Taste Awards have been released, with Food NI members now celebrating.
Great Taste 3-star winners include; Kreme dela Kremlin, a 10.5% ABV Imperial Russian Stout made by the “supremely talented” Whitewater Brewery in Castlewellan, using a selection of premium malts, hops and maple syrup and an Irish Black Butter, inspired by a traditional sweet and savoury conserve recipe and made using Euro PGI Armagh Bramley Apples with cider, brandy and spices, from The Irish Black Butter Company in Antrim.
There were several awards for the Meat Merchant in Moira. They took 1 3 star for their Sugar Pit Bone in Bacon, 10 2 stars for Himalayan Salt Aged Wing Rib Joint, Himalayan Salt Aged Bone in Sirloin Joint, Himalayan Salt Aged Bone in Fillet Steak, Pastrami Boneless Beef Short Ribs, Confit Beef Cheeks, Sugar Pit Boneless Bacon Loin, Sugar Pit Ham Hocks, Sugar Pit Bacon Ribs, Lamb Shoulder Part Boned Pork and Apple and Sage Sausage Roll and 3 1 star awards for Himalayan Salt Aged Bone in Sirloin Steak, Porchetta and Dry Cure Middle Bacon.
En Place Foods got stars for every product entered including 3 stars for their Apple and Elderflower Vinegar.
2 stars each for Armagh Cider Company’s Doyles Medium Cider, L’Artisan Foods’ Smoked Chicken and Mushroom Pie, Buchanan’s Traditional Stuffed Pork Fillet, Natural Umber Apple Cider Vinegar, McKee’s Farm Shop Courgette and Thyme Soup, Café Smart’s Wheaten Bread, Irwin’s Bakery Irish Rose Fruit Loaf, Deli Lites’ Turmeric and Orange Cake with Yoghurt and Pistachio Topping, Symphonia’s No.1 Dry Gin and No.2 Apple Gin, The Heatherlea;’s Coarse Wheaten with Stout, The Cookie Jar’s Wheaten Bread and Wheaten Bread Mix, East Coast Seafood’s Hot Smoked Trout, Scrabo Cottage’s Rose Veal Stock/Demi Glaze, Ballylisk of Armagh’s Triple Rose cheese, Hillstown Brewery’s Horny Bull Stout, Dart Mountain’s Sperrin Blue Cheese, Maud’s Piemonte IGP Dark Hazelnut Ice Cream, Quail’s 28 Day Himalayan Salt Aged Rump Roast and Heritage Cure Gammon Joint, Morell’s Irish Black Butter and Coffee Ice Creams and Cherry Frozen Yoghurt, Yahi House Granola, Ispini Charcuterie’s Fennel Salami, Tempted’s Dry and Tempted’s Hard Yard Cider Rooney Fish’s Millbay Oysters with Gin, Finnebrogue Artisan’s Blackgate Signature Wagyu Burgers, Rich Sauce’s Vegan Mayonnaise ,Islander Kelp’s Kelp Tapenade, Suki’s Spiced Pumpkin Pie Tea Glastry Farm’s Raspberry Ruffle Sorbet ,Baronscourt Wild Sika Venison Loin, Wild Sika Venison French Rack and SD Bell’s Brazil Rio Verde Yellow Bourbon Coffee.
1 star awards were given for SD Bell’s Assam Single Estate “Satrupa” Organic FBOP, Buchanan’s Dry Cured Back Bacon, L’Artisan Foods’ Red Pepper and Asparagus Pie, Dromona Mature Cheddar and Spreadeasy Butter, Rich Sauces Vegan Garlic Mayonnaise and Vegan Chipotle Mayonnaise, Yellow Door’s Roast butternut squash and sweet potato soup, Stout Soda Bread, Wheaten Loaf and Olive and cheese sourdough bread, Irwin’s Potato Bread and Rankin Selection Barm Brack, Tayto’s Mr Porky Crispy Strips, Sea Sugar’s Black Cherry and Vanilla handmade sweets, Finnebrogue Artisan Naked Smoked Back Bacon, Ewing’s Finest Irish Organic Smoked Salmon and Amber Catering and Cake’s Date and Apple Wheaten, Baronscourt’s Wild Venison Sausage, Glenballyeamon Free Range Eggs, Cavanagh Free Range Eggs, Long Meadow Cider’s Apple Cider Vinegar, East Coast Seafood’s Cold Smoked Salmon and Hot Smoked Eel, Granny Shaw’s Sea Salt Fudge, Whitewater Brewery’s Ewe Rebel, Deli Muru’s Orange & Juniper Shortbread and Raspberry & Juniper Jam, The Heatherlea’s Chilli & Chocolate Oatcakes, Morelli’s Chocolate Caramel Gold Ice Cream and Caramelised Hazelnut Ice Cream, Gracehill Black Pudding, Mash Direct’s Beer Battered Chips, Maud’s Ethiopian Coffee and Sea Salted Caramel Ice Creams, The Heatherlea’s Coarse Wheaten Loaf with Stout, Glens of Antrim Potatoes Shindigs Crisps Irish Sea Salt & White Wine Vinegar and Shindigs Crisps Mature Irish Cheddar & Sweet Onion, Kennedy’s Dry Cured Bacon, Suki Rooibos Tea and Ke Nako’s Biltong
Forest Feast took 2 stars for Queen Victoria Pineapple Ringsand 5 individual stars for PREDA Fair Trade Dried Mango, Whole Canadian Dried Cranberries, Slow Baked Roasted & Salted Mixed Nuts, Chilli Honey Peanuts & Almonds and Sesame Glazed Peanuts with Almonds & Cashews.
Clandeboye Yoghurt got 3 individual stars for Greek Style Yoghurt, Greek Style Yoghurt with Mandarin and Lime and Natural Yoghurt
There was a 2 star award for Burren Balsamic’s Roast Onion infused Balsamic Vinegar and a star each for Blackcurrant infused Balsamic Vinegar Blood Orange and CardamomWhite Condiment, Raspberry Infused Black Balsamic and Aceto Balsamico di Modena (I.G.P)
Ann’s Pantry got three individual stars for Sugar Free Oven Wheaten, Spelt Brown Soda and Champ Potato Bread.
White’s Oats took 4 individual stars for Organic Jumbo Oatflakes Toat’ly Oaty Original Porridge, Speedicook Porridge Oats and Oat bran medium cut while Hillstown Brewery was awarded 1 star each for The Spitting Llama Belgian Triple, The Goats Butt Wheat Beer, The Full Boar Crew- Brut IPA, The Blueberry Badger Parade Sour Beer and Henrietta Hen West Coast IPA. Maud’s Ice Creams in Vanilla, Poor Bear and Strawberries and Cream were each awarded a star.
Quails Fine Foods got a further 4 individual stars for Himalayan Salt Aged T Bone Steak, Homemade Savoury Mince Pie, Homemade Chicken Pie and Mint Jelly with Balsamic Vinegar
While these producers revel in their success and begin displaying the unmistakable gold and black Great Taste logo, with 1-, 2- or 3- stars, on their award-winning products, they will wait with much anticipation to see if they also scoop the top awards for their region. These final honours, including the Great Taste 2019 Supreme Champion, will be announced at the Great Taste Golden Fork Dinner on Sunday 1 September, to be held at the InterContinental Park Lane Hotel, London.
