Cork displays its Great Taste once more!
Last week, the results of the Great Taste Awards in the UK were announced. Among the Irish winners were 22 winners from Cork which proves again that our food is simply amazing.
Kinsale Mead Ltd has scooped up a gold star for their Hazy Summer Mead. I came across this delicious beverage at one of the Christmas Gift Fairs in City Hall a few years back and enjoyed a tipple or two over the years.
Who would have thought that a medieval drink like mead makes such a strong comeback? I am delighted for Kate and Denis for their hard work that pays off year after year with awards like this one.
Staying with boozy drinks, Stonewell Cider, also from the Kinsale region, took a gold star for their Stonewell Dry Cider. Since starting drinking craft cider, I am over the oversweet commercial ones, even if they dedicate time to us!
The Stonewell Cider is one of my favourites I have to admit but I have yet to try the Nohoval Apple Oak Wine (also from Stonewell) who took another gold star home.
Irish cheeses also took home some awards with Durrus Óg, which was awarded two gold stars and Bó Rua Farm Gold went home with one gold star. Irish Yogurt took home some awards for their yogurt range and Hanley’s Pudding took one star for their black breakfast pudding and two for their gluten-free white pudding.
Healy’s Honey proved once more that they know a thing or two about honey with their Black Forrest Honey taking one and their Louis’ No.1 Maple Syrup taking two stars home. Wildberry Bakery bagged two stars for their Jewelled Christmas Cake (in the past I judged Christmas foods in August – a very weird experience I can assure you), while Rebel Chilli received two stars for their Korean BBQ sauce and one for their Mildly Molten Marmelade. This is a grapefruit, lime and chilli marmalade and it sounds just too tasty, so will have to keep an eye out for it.
But the crown with three stars was taken by Serendipity Smokehouse for their hot smoked salmon. I haven’t come across it yet but receiving three stars puts this product on top of my Most Wanted List, especially as I love hot smoked salmon. Tim Cronin seems to know a thing or two about smoking as he also took a star for his smoked chicken.
I love looking at the winner’s list each year as I discover new products that I might have overlooked – this also happens when I am judging food at the Irish food awards.
Now, you might wonder why Irish food companies are bothered at all to submit their products into a UK competition. The Great Taste awards is more than just a food award competition as it can open up ways into the UK market and indeed further afield as the competition is open to many countries.
Buyers from across Europe tend to keep an eye on the awards and export opportunities open up more easily as a result.
All Great Taste three star award-winning products will be re-judged to find regional Golden Fork Trophy winners and the Great Taste Supreme Champion 2021. In the past we had some Irish winners of the overall prize and here’s hope that this year’s winner again has Irish roots.
The Gold Forks and Supreme Champion will be announced in October – so fingers crossed for all Irish three star winners!