Award-winning food and drink from across the country will be showcased in Cardiff Bay today (Tuesday 20th January) following success at the industry’s leading UK awards.
Food producers who have been awarded coveted gold stars in the annual Great Taste Awards, often described as the “Oscars’ of the food world, will be exhibiting their winning products at the Pierhead in Cardiff Bay. The celebration will also give Welsh winners the opportunity to meet major food buyers from leading supermarkets, luxury department stores, specialist delicatessens and the public sector.
Hosted by the Welsh Government’s Deputy Minister for Farming and Food, Rebecca Evans AM, the showcase is organised by the Welsh Government’s Bwyd a Diod Cymru - Food and Drink Wales, the umbrella identity to promote Welsh produce at home and abroad. Supported by the Great Taste, the event will also give Assembly Members the chance to meet food and drink producers from across Wales.
This year’s main winners, awarded the coveted three Gold stars, include a Thai restaurant from Abersoch that began making its own range of pastes and sauces, a Ruthin company that continues to produce fine food by hand using local ingredients on a commercial scale and one of the country’s biggest food industry employers.
Food and Farming is a priority growth sector for the Welsh Government. The sector’s annual turnover is £5.2 billion but the government aims to grow this by 30% to £7 billion by 2020.
Deputy Minister for Farming and Food, Rebecca Evans said:
“It’s wonderful to see such a wide range of products and food businesses being recognised by one of the sector’s leading awards. This showcase celebrates a variety of businesses that are producing some of the finest food and drink in Wales. As a Government we wish to celebrate their success and to help them build on their achievements and use this recognition to continue growing and creating employment in Wales.”
62 Welsh producers have been recognised for excellence by Great Taste for a total of 121 different products.
Three products were awarded the highest rating of three gold stars. One star signifies “Simply delicious”, two stars represent “Outstanding” and the highest rating of three stars is for a product that makes the judges say “Exquisite. Wow. Taste that”.
Patchwork Traditional Food Company in Ruthin was awarded three stars for its Red Pesto Vegetarian Pâte as well as being the overall Welsh winner. The company employs thirty staff in Denbeighshire.
Jenny Whitham, Manging Director of Patchwork says::
“It’s one of the longest standing and best established food awards in the UK. It’s an iconic award in the speciality food industry not only recognised within the industry but also by the consumer. In 2015 we hope to receive a Golden Fork award yet again from the Great Taste Awards
The Coconut Kitchen from Llanbedrog in Gwynedd achieved three stars for its Easy Green Thai Curry Paste.
Paul Withington from Coconut Kitchen, which also won gold stars for its Honey, Garlic and Pepper Sauce and Easy Massaman Curry Paste, says:
“The awards gives us validation that our products really do taste great and then helps a wider audience understand that. A small brand like us need all the help we can to get noticed. It’s a great buzz to win especially this year with the Green Curry Paste getting the three stars and then being voted into the Top 50. It has really helped our business with the trade and since the award we’ve secured major UK-wide distribution deals and won business in Switzerland, Sweden, Norway and hopefully Dubai.”
Dawn Meats, which employs over 300 workers at its Cross Hands plant, was awarded three gold stars for its Natural Meadow French Dressed Lamb Rack.
Alison Haselgrove from Dawn Meats says major food businesses value winning Great Taste Awards just as much as artisan producers.
“Great Taste is a very prestigious and well recognised award both by consumers and within the food industry. By winning, we are able to use the Great Taste logo on our packaging and therefore able to indicate to the consumers that it’s been judged to a very high standard. There’s very tough competition and therefore winning is a great accolade.”
The Great Taste Awards are organised by the Guild of Fine Food and are among the world’s largest blind tested food award schemes. The gold stars are an acknowledged benchmark for speciality food and drink.
John Farrand, Managing Director of the Guild of Fine Food, organisers of the Great Taste Awards, says the event is an important platform for Welsh producers.
“This showcase, organised by Food and Drink Wales celebrates the success of the many Welsh producers who have been awarded the much coveted Great Taste stars and I applaud the innovation and quality from these producers. I’d also like to encourage more food and drink producers in Wales to enter Great Taste 2015; to use the valuable marketing opportunities that Great Taste accreditation brings, and to build the profile of Welsh produce to a worldwide audience which we know is eager to source from the list of Great Taste stars.”
Worthy winners have to undergo rigorous testing from over 400 industry respected judges to earn their Great Taste 1, 2 or 3 gold stars. Judges test products blindly ensuring this award scheme is based on nothing but ‘Great Taste’.