Mid Wales honey producer, Hilltop Honey are ‘buzzing’ after winning a prestigious award in The Great Taste Awards.
The Great Taste Awards, referred to as the Oscars of the food world, were held in London last night and Caersws company Hilltop Honey were presented with The Great Taste Nigel Barden Heritage Award, for its Great Taste 3 star award-winning Raw Thyme Honey.
The award, presented each year to a producer who uses historic production methods, rare breeds or heritage varieties of fruit and vegetables, was created to encourage and reward food producers who celebrate and uphold traditional flavours and characteristics.
Loved for its delightful floral aroma with a strong herbal flavour, Raw Thyme Honey has a long lasting aftertaste and has recently been described by a BBC 2 radio presenter as “the best honey I’ve ever tasted.”
Being a pale and very delicate honey, judges have described it as, “an extraordinary aroma which translates instantly to the palate with startling levels of menthol - the depth of flavour, balanced by the brightness is extraordinary. Like a walk through a field of thyme and clover. Outstanding.”
Hilltop Honey has also been awarded stars by the Great Taste for their Raw Yucatan honey, Raw Orange Blossom honey and Raw Scottish Heather honey, all picking up 1 star each.
Hilltop Honey was founded in 2011 when Scott Davies started keeping bees in the back garden of his parents’ house in Newtown, Mid Wales. Now into its fifth year, Hilltop Honey employs nine full time staff, sells raw honey to major high street brands and online customers and has recently clinched their biggest order to date to supply 340 Sainsbury’s stores with 3 of its high quality products.
Managing Director Scott is incredibly proud of their achievements,
“Out of 10,000 products entered in the Great Taste awards across the UK, only 141 were awarded 3 stars so for us to get that far was an achievement in itself. Winning this further award is just the icing on the cake – we couldn’t be more thrilled.”
Congratulating Hilltop Honey on their achievements, Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths AM, felt this reflected the strength of the Welsh food and drink industry,
“I’d like to warmly congratulate Hilltop Honey on their latest achievements in the Great Taste awards, they should be very proud of what they are accomplishing and I wish them the very best as they continue to progress with their excellent business.
“The Welsh food and drink industry is a vital part of the economy and with commitment and hard work we see real potential to increase turnover by 30% by 2020 and reach our ambitious target.”
Raw honey is honey in the rawest form, straight from the hive which has not been pasteurized. In raw honey there are natural anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties and it provides you with all the important vitamins, minerals and enzymes.
Hilltop Honey offers a wide range of raw honeys with 4 raw organic honeys, 3 different flavoured honeys, 3 cut comb products and 6 honeys of the world as part of a speciality honey range.
After tripling turnover last year, Hilltop Honey is on course for 200% growth this year, which is forcing the company to look for larger premises and more honey suppliers across the UK and Europe.
Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, is the acknowledged benchmark for fine food and drink. Panels of over 400 expert judges, including specially trained food writers blind taste the products that are entered. Exceptional food and drink products are awarded a commendation from 1 star ‘simply delicious’, to 2 stars ‘outstanding’, up to 3 stars representing ‘wow – you’ve got to taste this!’
Overall, 125 products from across Wales were winners at this year’s Great Taste awards, with 96 entries achieving 1 star, 26 getting 2 stars and 3 being deemed worthy of the 3 star accolade, proving that food and drink from across Wales has a deserved reputation for quality and taste.