In a bumper year for Irish food producers, 27 three-star Great Taste Awards, the highest accolade in the competition, have been won by entrants from the Republic and Northern Ireland, up from 16 last year.
More than 14,000 food and drink products from 109 countries were assessed by 500 industry experts over the course of 89 judging days in London and Dorset, and only 1.8 per cent of them were awarded three stars.
Awards were also made at two-star and one-star level and Ireland claimed a total of 674 awards, 526 by companies in the Republic and 148 from Northern Ireland. Although administered in the UK, by the Guild of Fine Food, products made anywhere in the world can be entered for these awards, which the organisers say are the largest global accreditation scheme for food and drink. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the awards.
Two entrants from the Republic of Ireland secured three-star awards for two of their products – Boyne Valley Cheese for its Rathkenny and Boyne Valley Bán cheeses and Lidl Ireland for its Irish Angus Rib Roast on the Bone (28-day matured) and its Irish Deluxe Angus 3-Rib Roast on the Bone (40-day matured).
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Three Northern Ireland food producers also collected three-star awards on the double. Hannan Meats, a former winner of the supreme championship at these awards, was successful at this level for two pork products – Koji Pork Chop and Buttermilk Pork Chop. Baronscourt Estate’s duo of three-star award winners were its Wild Sika Venison Loin and French Rack. Morelli Ice Cream had two varieties singled out for three-star awards – Clotted Cream with Irish Black Butter and Pistachio Swirl.
There were three-star debuts from smaller companies as well as bigger brands. The Granville Hotel in Waterford was awarded three stars for its raspberry jam and there was success at this level too for Folláin Teoranta’s passion fruit curd. Birdhouse, a fried chicken outlet in Galway city, won three stars for its Mango Mazzaleen sauce, as did Cork Chilli Company for its Bangin’ Barbecue sauce.
All of the three-star winning products will be blind tasted and judged again to decide the regional winners and the 2023 supreme champion, the results of which will be revealed at an event in London on September 11th.
The complete list of Great Taste one-, two- and three-star winners is available here.
Three-star Great Taste Award winners: Republic of Ireland
- Granville Hotel: Granville Raspberry Jam
- Folláin Teoranta: Folláin Passion Fruit Curd
- Birdhouse: Mango Mazzaleen
- Cork Chilli Company: Bangin’ Barbecue
- Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland: Signature Tastes Smoked Rack of Bacon
- Oliver Carty & Family: Honey and Brown Sugar Slow Cooked Ham on the Bone
- Lidl Ireland: Lidl Irish Angus Rib Roast on the Bone 28-day Matured
- Lidl Ireland: Irish Deluxe Angus 3-Rib Roast on the Bone
- Irish Country Meats: Aldi Specially Selected Wicklow Leg of Lamb
- Silver Hill Duck: Silver Hill Confit Duck Legs
- Irish Yogurts Clonakilty: Irish Yogurts Clonakilty Half-Fat Creme Fraiche
- Durrus Cheese: Durrus Óg
- Boyne Valley Cheese: Rathkenny
- Boyne Valley Cheese: Boyne Valley Bán
- Macroom Buffalo Cheese Products: Macroom Buffalo Ricotta
- Green Pastures Donegal: 18% Sour Cream
- Scúp Gelato: Natural Yogurt and Blackcurrant Sorbet
Three-star Great Taste Award winners: Northern Ireland
- Whitewater Brewing Company Ltd: Whitewater/Hinch Irish Whiskey Barrel Aged Stout
- William Grant & Co Ltd: Grant’s Guanciale
- Baronscourt Estate: Wild Sika Venison Loin
- Baronscourt Estate: Wild Sika Venison French Rack
- Ballyboley Dexters: Ballyboley Pedigree Dexter 28 Day Dry Aged On The Bone Rump Steak
- Hannan Meats Ltd: Koji Pork Chop
- Hannan Meats Ltd: Buttermilk Pork Chop
- Mauds Ice Creams Ltd: Pistachio ice cream
- Morelli Ice Cream: Morelli’s Pistachio Swirl Ice Cream
- Morelli Ice Cream: Morelli’s Clotted Cream with Irish Black Butter Ice Cream
