Cumbrian firms have been handed prestigious awards which marks them out as the cream of the crop.
Great Taste 2024 saw a total of 520 awards presented in the North of England, including 365 1-star, 129 2-star and 26 3-star accolades by the Guild of Fine Food.
Almost 3,500 companies from 115 countries around the world entered Great Taste this year, between them offering 13,672 products for review.
The UK entered 8,008 products from 2,528 companies.
Each entry was blind-tasted by the guild’s expert judging panel of over 500 food critics, chefs, recipe creators, buyers, retailers, and other specialists in the field of food and drink.
Entries were analysed across 92 judging days, each receiving detailed feedback, whether or not they obtained an award.
John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food, said: “It’s hugely important to us at the guild to inject some positivity into the speciality food and drink industry.
“Given the economic headwinds that both independent retailers and small and medium producers are facing, the announcement of the 2024 crop of Great Taste stars is now an annual fillip for us all.
The awards are globally recognised as a mark of excellence and eagerly sought after by producers and food lovers alike.
James Cranston, of Cranstons in Penrith, said: “We are thrilled to have won a Great Taste award for our black pudding sausage and traditional ham on the bone.
“We are passionate about our products and our butchery and kitchen teams work really hard to ensure these products are excellent day in day out, we are all so proud to have their quality recognised. The latest two awards bring our tally of great taste awards to 19 in the last five years, a brilliant achievement.”
Farrer’s in Kendal won three Great Taste awards for its coffees. Che Oxenham, production manager and head roaster, said: “We take great care in sourcing our artisan single-origin coffee.
“Buying specifically from small growers and farmers around the world. Individuals who share our ethos – taking great care in nurturing the crops they grow, using sustainable growing techniques, whilst also putting back into their local communities, creating jobs and educational opportunities to enable farmers to earn a real wage in their communities.
“Farrer’s has been sourcing and roasting quality coffee for over 200 years and we all work incredibly hard to ensure that we continue to deliver.
“Receiving three new Great Taste awards in the shape of a two-star award and two one-star awards demonstrates what we are about and the fact that we take pride in creating products for people to enjoy.”
Roast Mutton in Kendal picked up its first Great Taste awards.
Robert Unwin, founder, said: ”It’s great to be recognised in this way. We set out to craft good quality sausages using only the very best local sustainably reared pork, and the judges have recognised what we are trying to do and we’re all totally chuffed with the comments we’ve received.
“We want to say a huge thank you to all of our brilliant customers and members of the public who’ve supported us as we’ve tweaked our recipes and done our very best to get things right. These two awards are fabulous, but we know that we’ve got more to learn as we continue to develop our range of sausages and to deliver what our customers want and expect from us.’’
Cumbrian winners
3 stars
- Guava banana – True North Coffee Roasters, Staveley
- Habanero chilli jam – Mr Vikki’s, Penrith
2 stars
- Grilling cheese – Appleby Creamery
- Black Dub Blue – Appleby Creamery
- Chilli and ginger jam – Christine’s Kitchen, Gilcrux
- Westmorland pepper cake – Ginger Bakers, Kendal
- Colombia La Cabana Coffee – Farrers, Kendal
- Lemon & herb Amarillo chilli sauce – Legendary Sauce Company
- Chilli jam – Mr Vikki’s
- Harry’s Brown Sauce – Mr Vikki’s
- Orange cardamom marmalade – Mr Vikki’s
- Tomato nigella chutney – Mr Vikki’s
- Spicy mushroom curry pickle – My Gourmet Mushroom, Kendal
- English blossom honey – Nook Farm Honey
- Salted liquorice – Ravenglass Handmade Ice Cream Co
- Festival tipple marmalade – Shed 1 Distillery, Ulverston
- Steak & kidney pie – Wagtail Kitchen, Kendal
- Zingi Bear Switchel – Zingi Bear, Hincaster
1 star
- Eden Smokie – Appleby Creamery
- Spicy garlic and tomato salsa dip – Claire’s Handmade, Wigton
- Sweet piccalilli – Claire’s Handmade, Wigton
- Cumberland sausage with black pudding – Cranstons, Penrith
- Traditional ham on the bone – Cranstons, Penrith
- Blackcurrant jam – Cumbrian Coastal Kitchen, Harrington
- Damson jam – Cumbrian Coastal Kitchen, Harrington
- Chilli rapeseed oil – Eden Yard, near Penrith
- Organic apple juice – Eva’s Organics, Carlisle
- Brandy and orange mince pie – Ginger Bakers
- Chocolate and chestnut tray cake with smoked sea salt – Ginger Bakers
- Vintage Cheddar – Golden Hooves, Aspatria
- Traditional long sliced smoked Scottish salmon – Grants Oak Smoked, Maryport
- Traditional rope hung smoked Scottish salmon – Grants Oak Smoked, Maryport
- Sticky toffee waffle sauce – Hawkshead Relish
- Burundi Kibingo Natural Coffee – Farrers
- Ethiopia Haru Washed Coffee – Farrers
- Katherine’s Jersey Ice Cream – Just Jersey – Katherine’s Jersey Milk
- Kin Toffee Apple Vodka – Kin Vodka
- Artman Classic – Lakeland Mues
- Free Runner – Lakeland Mues
- Super seedy sourdough toasting loaf – More? The Artisan Bakery
- Alfonso mango chilli jam – Mr Vikki’s
- Guy Fawkes gunpowder mustard – Mr Vikki’s
- Harry’s chipotle BBQ sauce – Mr Vikki’s
- Indian garlic pickle – Mr Vikki’s
- King Naga – Mr Vikki’s
- Sambal – Mr Vikki’s
- #5 Gigli – Northern Pasta Co
- Orton Grange vending – Orton Grange, near Carlisle
- Pork & caramelised onion sausage roll – Pie Demand
- Rinaldo’s Burundi – Rinaldo’s Coffee
- Chameleon Espresso – Rinaldo’s Coffee
- Cumberland sausage – Roast Mutton, Kendal
- Marmalade sausage – Roast Mutton, Kendal
- Quince vodka – Shed 1 Distillery
- Cinder Toffee Rum – Sipping Fox
- Straight Up Bergamot edition gin – Sipping Fox
- Park House Cheddar – Torpenhow Cheese Co
- Allerdale Cheese – Thornby Moor Dairy
- Blue Whinnow – Thornby Moor Dairy
- Lemon curd gelato – 3 Hills Gelato, Torpenhow
- Fazenda Passeio – True North Coffee Roasters, Staveley
- Geisha Spirits – True North Coffee Roasters, Staveley
- Kenya Karatina – True North Coffee Roasters, Staveley
- Steak and mushroom pie – Wagtail Kitchen
- Apricot & roasted walnut chutney – Wild & Fruitful, Keswick
- Sweet chilli & tomato relish – Wild & Fruitful, Keswick
