They’re the most trusted food and drink awards in the world, and a host of Food NI members have done us proud again this year at the Great Taste Awards.
According to the judging criteria, three stars mean “sensational food and drink that has to be tasted. Two stars go to “faultless food and drink and one star is “close to perfect.
Hannan Meats in Moira, winner of the Supreme Champion Award in 2012, gained an unprecedented seven three-star gold’s- the highest ranking in the awards, for their beef and bacon that’s dry-aged in the world’s biggest Himalayan Salt Chamber.
Five other members all won 3 stars. They are Quails Fine Foods for their 28-Day Salt Aged Sirloin Steak; Suki Tea for their Whole Peppermint Tea and Apple Loves Mint, Thompson’s won with their Organic Green Tea with Pineapple. Flossie’s Fudge triumphed with Lightly Malted Fudge and Baronscourt Estate with their Venison Loin.
Two star awards went to Abernethy Butter for their Smoked Butter, Bailie’s Coffee’s Silvio Estate Coffee, Baronscourt’s French Rack of Venison and Broighter Gold’s Rapeseed Oil infused with Basil.
En Place wowed judged with their Fig and Armagnac Jam. They also loved Eva Paris’s Pistachio Macaron. Hannan Meats picked up five 2 stars and Hilden’s Barney’s Brew Ale went down a treat.
Kettyle Irish Foods did the business with 28-Day Dry-Aged Tomahawk Steak, Lamb aged for 28 days in a Salt Moss Chamber and their Guinness Burger.
La Coquine won two 2 stars for Tipsy Elephant Chocolate and Macerated Cherry Chocolate. Linden Foods won with Irish Hereford Beef and Linen Hill’s Paradise Slice was considered heavenly as was their Wheaten Bread with Irish Stout.
Other two star winners are McKee’s Farmshop – Crispy Roast Potatoes with Rosemary and Thyme. Morelli’s Ice Cream, Frozen Natural Yoghurt Rippled with a Tangy Cherry Fruit Compote, Passion Preserve’s Kasundi Preserve, Quail’s Fine Food’s Dry-Cure Hand Sliced Bacon and 28 Day Salt-Aged Steak, Tamnagh Foods’ Beetroot Pickle with spices, Thompson’s Punjana High grown Kenyan Tea blended with Assam solely from Behora Estate, White’s Irish Oatmeal Steel Cut Oats and Toat’ly Oaty Multi Seeds and Yellow Door’s Farmhouse Handmade Rustic Brown Loaf.
One star winners include Abernethy Butter for their Handmade Salted Butter, Armagh Cider Madden’s Mellow and Carson’s Premium, Avondale Foods Sweet Chilli Coleslaw, Dunnes Stores Simply Better Coleslaw and Cabbage, Carrot, Apple & Cranberries in Mayonnaise Dressing, Bailie’s Coffee Fairtrade Espresso, Fairtrade 100% and Sweet Wonders Espresso.
There were also stars for Broighter Gold’s Rapeseed Oil infused with Rosemary and Garlic and regular Rapeseed Oil, Bruce’s Hill’s Beef Sausage with Rosemary and Thyme, Cavanagh’s Free-Range Eggs, Clandeboye Estate’s Blueberry Yoghurt, Greek Style Yoghurt, Mango Yoghurt Smoothie and Blueberry Yoghurt Smoothie.
Clogher Valley Meats won a star for their Shortbread Stars, while Cloughbane Foods took a clutch of 1 star awards for Homemade Stuffing, Steak, Onion and Mushroom Pie, Chicken, Ham and Leek Pie, Turkey and Stuffing Pie and Chicken and Broccoli bake.
Dale Farm did the business with Loseley Summer Meadow Butter, Dromona Pure Churned Butter, Dromona Extra Mature Cheddar Cheese and Loseley 19 Extra Mature Cheddar. En Place really know their preserves, so they got stars for Apricot and Amaretto Extra Fruit Jam, Cherry-Berry Jam, Plum and Elderberry Jam, BLT Relish and Mandarin, Pomegranate and Lime Jelly Marmalade.
Erin Grove took a star for their Rhubarb and Ginger Preserve and judges gave one to Eva Paris for their Raspberry Macaron. Will Taylor always gets plaudits. This year it was for Glastry Farm Dairy Ice Cream with Pure Bourbon Vanilla Bean, Ice Cream with Pure Coconut and Yellowman Honeycomb Ice Cream.
Hannan Meats continued to rack up stars for Moyallon Traditionally Dry Cured Bacon, Moyallon Sweet Cured Ham Hock, Himalayan Salt Aged Sirloin Dry-Aged on the Bone for 28 days and Himalayan Salt-Aged Chateaubriand.
Harnett’s Oils won a star for their Extra Virgin Rapeseed Oil, the Heatherlea impressed with Grandma Getty’s Caramel Sauce. Heavenly Tasty Organics won a star for Spaghetti Baby Food as did Hilden Brewery’s Headless Dog Pale Ale, Hillstown Farm’s Beer-fed 28-day Dry-Aged Ribeye and Roasted tomato and red pepper soup, Irwin’s Irish Rose Fruit Loaf and Potato Farls.
There were stars for Kearney Blue Cheese, Keen Nutrition Almond Butter, Kee’s Outdoor Saddleback Shoulder Rack, Kettyle’s Salt Moss Aged Sirloin, Fillet Steak 28-Day Aged in Salt Moss Chamber and Senior Long Carve Sirloin, Krazi Baker’s Potato Apple Bread, La Coquine’s Salted Muscovado Caramel, Zingy Thai-Flavoured Ganache and Whiskey Caramel.
Linden Foods won a star for Two Irish Hereford Ribeye Steaks. Linen Hill’s Piccalilli impressed, as did
Linwoods’ Fruit Loaf, Milled Organic Flaxseed, Sunflower & Pumpkin Seeds, Shelled Hemp and Long Meadow’s Medium Cider, Mash Direct’s Potato Cakes with Bacon, Turnip and Swede, Cauliflower Cheese Gratin and Red Cabbage and Beetroot, McKee’s Oven Roasted Sunblushed Tomato and Cheese Focaccia, Butter-based Scone Spiced with Cinnamon, Extra Dry Aged Ribeye hung for 40 days and Roasted Mix Nut Roast
Morelli’s Rhubarb and Custard and Sea Salty Caramel Ice Creams were worthy 1 star winners as were Passion Preserve’s Sunshine Relish, Quail’s Fine Foods’ Wheaten Bread, 8-Day Salt-Aged Cote de Boeuf, Handmade Pork and Leek Sausage, Suki’s Fairtrade English Breakfast Tea, Tamnagh Foods’ Maple Nut Fruit Granola.
The Good Food and Wine Company took four 1 stars for Pure Apple Juice Infused with Cloves, Handmade Traditional Shortbread with Creamy Irish Butter and Fresh Shredded Ginger, Traditional Yellowman Honeycomb coated in Dark Chocolate and Irish Smoked Salmon Infused with Irish Whiskey
Others went to Thompson’s White Tea Romance and Turkish Apple Tea, White’s Toasted Oats Apple and Cinnamon Crunch, Toat’ly Oaty Original, Jumbo Oats Caddy, Organic Jumbo Oats, Oatbran Medium Cut, Irish Oatmeal Old Fashioned Oats and Toat’ly Oaty Wild Fruit, William Orr Potatoes, for First Choice Arran Victory, Willowbrook Foods’s Crunchy Coleslaw with Creamy Curry Flavour Mayonnaise and Creamy mashed & seasoned rooster potatoes, Yellow Door’s Focaccia Blanco Burger Bun, Cranberry and Walnut Loaf, Applewood Smoked Dry Cure Bacon and Hot Smoked Glenarm Organic Salmon.
PHEW!
Well done, all. We are SO proud.
