Back to Great Taste

Great Taste is the biggest independent benchmarking scheme for local, regional and speciality foods in Britain and has been since 1994. Over 350 professional foodies are brought together each year to take part in 45 days of judging, deciding which foods deserve one-star, two-star or the ultimate three-star awards.

The Top 50 Foods in Britain today is the definitive list of the greatest food and drink available from fine food retailers across the UK and Ireland.

Seek out these foods and see if you agree with the experts.

Please click on the product name below to view a product image or the slideshow of products. Contact Mark Windsor to request an image.

South West

M’Hencha – Sophie's Baked Delights, Gloucestershire www.sophiesbakeddelights.co.uk sophie@sophiesbakeddelights.co.uk
A North African Berber cake made from an almond sugar paste, flavoured with rosewater, orange and lemon zest, wrapped in brick pastry, coiled into a cake.

Passion Fruit Curd – The Bay Tree Food Company, Somerset www.thebaytree.co.uk stephanie.baker@thebaytree.co.uk
A passion fruit curd made in small batches.

Strong Horseradish & Cream – The Tracklement Company, Wiltshire
www.tracklements.co.uk info@tracklements.co.uk
A powerful, fresh grated horseradish root mixed with cream.

Jack Ratt Vintage Dry Cider – Lyme Bay Winery, Devon www.lymebaywinery.co.uk shows@lymebaywinery.co.uk
A 7.4% vol cider, fermented from freshly-pressed traditional cider apple varieties such as Dabinett, Kingston Black & Yarlington Mill.

French Style Saucisson – The Cotswold Curer. Gloucestershire www.thecotswoldcurer.com pete.crumby@gmail.com
A fully cured artisan salami, handmade using a traditional French recipe and locally produced free range pork. All the spices used are freshly ground, and include cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.

Potted Wild Boar with Sherry & Thyme – The Potted Game Company, Gloucestershire
www.pottedgame.com jemima@pottedgame.com

Gooseberry and Elderflower Ice Cream – Jolly Nice, Gloucestershire www.westonbirticecream.co.uk harriet@westonbirticecream.co.uk
Gooseberries & elderflowers mixed with a rich custard base and infused with a subtle hint of orange and lemon.

Tregothnan Honey Yoghurt Ice Salcombe Dairy, Devon www.salcombedairy.co.uk info@salcombedairy.co.uk
A rich yoghurt with a hint of honey.

London & South East

Lithuanian Scalded Rye Bread – Amber Foods Plus t/a Karaway, Essex
www.karawaybakery.com info@karawaybakery.com

English Wagyu Sirloin Steak – C Lidgate, London
www.lidgates.com benlidgate@hotmail.com
English Wagyu beef, with vivid marbling and a velvety, buttery consistency.

Geeta’s Lime & Chilli Chutney – Geeta’s Foods, London
www.geetasfoods.com asamtani@geetasfoods.com
An authentic Indian chutney made from Kagzi limes, green chillies and aromatic spices.

Gizzards Confit – 1 Chef 4U, London W3 8LY
www.1chef4u.com
tomcookfr@yahoo.fr

Barkham Blue – Two Hoots Cheese, Berkshire www.twohootscheese.co.uk twohoots.fc@btinternet.com
A soft blue veined cheese.

Imperial China – Demarquette Fine Chocolates, London www.demarquette.com kim@demarquette.com
A ganache chocolate made with single origin cacao from Vietnam and infused with Jasmine White Monkey Tea.

Wales

Organic Pork Shoulder of Pork – Slade Farm Organics, Vale of Glamorgan
www.sladeorganics.co.uk peter@daviesslade.plus.com

Welsh Organic Shoulder of Lamb – Rhug. Denbighshire www.rhugorganic.com joanredmond@rhug.co.uk

Lamb Carpacchio – Trealy Farm Charcuterie, Monmouth
www.trealyfarm.com info@trealyfarm.com

O-GardenOtley Brewing Company, Mid Glamorgan www.otleybrewing.co.uk info@otleybrewing.co.uk
A clear wheat beer spiced with roasted orange peel, coriander and cloves.

Midlands & East Anglia

Pershore College Concorde Pear Juice – Pershore College (Part of Warwickshire College) Worcestershire www.warwickshire.ac.uk/applejuice rtoft@warkscol.ac.uk
A juice made from Concorde pears, but with 10% Bramley apples added to complement and balance the flavour. All fruit is hand-picked, pressed and bottles in Worcestershire.

Creme Fraiche – Marybelle, Suffolk
www.marybelle.co.uk
katherine@marybelle.co.uk
Made with milk and cream from local farms.

Jaipur IPAThornbridge Brewery, Derbyshire www.thornbridgebrewery.co.uk alex@thornbridgebrewery.co.uk
IPA bottled beer.

Capra Nouveau Goats' Milk CheeseBrock Hall Farm Dairy, Shropshire
sarah@brockhallfarm.com
A semi-soft, unpasteurised, artisan, rind-washed cheese using milk from their own free range, herd of pedigree, Pure-Saanen goats.

Gloucester Old Spot Smoked Middle Back BaconLudlow Food Centre, Shropshire
www.ludlowfoodcentre.co.uk
greatfood@ludlowfoodcentre.co.uk
Made with pork from Ludlow Food Centre’s own herd, cured and smoked on the premises.

North

More? Sourdough Miches – More? The Artisan Bakery, Cumbria www.moreartisan.co.uk patrick@moreartisan.co.uk
A three-flour sourdough bread fermented for 24-36 hours.

Four-Bone Rack of Heather-Fed Lamb – Albert Matthews Butchers, Lancashire
www.albertmatthews.com
sales@albertmatthews.com

Raspberry Vinegar – Womersley Fruit & Herb Vinegars, Yorkshire www.womersleyfoods.co.uk wendy@womersleyfoods.co.uk
A triple-filtered fruit vinegar.

Rack of Wild Northumberland Roe Deer – Ridley's Fish & Game, Northumberland
www.ridleysfishandgame.co.uk
info@ridleysfishandgame.co.uk

Silver Smoked Eel Fillet – Port of Lancaster Smokehouse, Lancashire
www.glassonsmokehouse.co.uk sales@polsco.co.uk
Brined in pure sea salt and subtly kiln-roasted over oak.

Salted Butter – Winter Tarn Cheese, Cumbria
edenview@talktalk.net

A salted butter made with organic cream and salt..

Scotland

Marinated Springbok Portioned Fillet – Kezie Foods, Borders
www.keziefoods.co.uk
juliaT@kezie.com
A marinated and portioned fillet of wild/free-range springbok.

Jaffy's Mallaig Kippers – J. Lawrie & Sons, Inverness-shire
www.jaffys.co.uk s.lawrie@hotmail.co.uk
Smoked in a traditional brick kiln over oak shavings from malt whisky casks to produce plump succulent kippers. The traditional cure and smoking methods have been handed down over four generations.

Arbroath Smokies – Original Smokies from Arbroath, Angus
www.arbroathsmokies.net iain@arbroathsmokies.net
Fresh haddock, cleaned, tied and salted, then smoked in the original way over a smouldering hardwood log fire contained within a whisky cask.

Hot Smoked Salmon – Donaldsons of Orkney, Orkney www.donaldsonsoforkney.co.uk erikdonaldson@btconnect.com

Knockraich Crowdie Soft Cheese – Katy Rodger's, Stirlingshire
www.knockraich.com enquiries@knockraich.com
A traditional, British Friesian cows’ milk crowdie, with no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, this soft white cheese can be eaten on its own or used as an ingredient.

Northern Ireland

Dry Aged Marrow Butter – Kettyle Irish Foods, County Fermanagh
www.kettyleirishfoods.com
gemmaj@kettyleirishfoods.com
A butter with bone marrow, blended with a mix of sea salt and cracked black pepper.

Hand Made Corned Beef – McCartney's of Moira, County Antrim
www.mccartneysofmoira.com info@mccartneysofmoira.com
Dry-aged beef (heels of silverside) is slow cooked with pork trotters for 14 hours, then shredded, with all fat removed. Natural juices are added back before pressing.

Hand Made Sweet Corned Pork – McCartney's of Moira, County Antrim
www.mccartneysofmoira.com
info@mccartneysofmoira.com
Shoulder pork is dry cured, slow cooked with pork trotters for 12 hours, then shredded, with all the fat removed. Natural juices are added back before pressing.

Moyallon Guanciale – Hannan Meats, County Antrim
www.hannanmeats.com ken@hannanmeats.com

Ireland

Smoked Rack of Bacon – Oliver Carty, County Roscommon
www.olivercarty.ie tcarty@olivercarty.ie
A reduced-salt smoked rack of bacon.

Yeats Country Spreadable Goats’ Cheese – Green Pastures (Donegal), Donegal
www.greenpasturesdonegal.com info@greenpasturesdonegal.com

G’s Gourmet Rhubarb & Ginger Jam – G's Gourmet Jams (Abbey Farm Foods), County Laois
www.gsgourmetjams.ie gsgourmetjams@eircom.net
Rhubarb and ginger jam, handmade made using rhubarb, sugar and ginger. Cooked in small batches using the traditional ‘open pan’ method and hand-stirred using a wooden spoon.

Imported

Cortijo De Suerte Alta Coupage Natural EVOO – Cortijo De Suerte Alta SL, Spain
www.suertealta.es almazara@suertealta.es
An organic, DOP oil from a traditional family-owned olive grove. Produced from three varieties of olive: Picudo, Hojiblanco and Picual.

Azada Hazelnut Oil – Azada Organic, Barcelona www.azadaorganic.com kevin@azadaorganic.com

Belazu Preserved Lemons – The Fresh Olive Company, Middlesex www.fresholive.com sales@fresholive.com
Pickled in salt and their own juices, these lemons are an essential, authentic ingredient in a wide range of Moroccan recipes.

Thyme Honey – Melissourgion, Greece
www.melissourgion.com
A natural, unprocessed thyme honey.

Persian Nougat with 90% Pistachio – The Exquisite Range, London www.exquisiterange.com mail@exquisiterange.com
A nougat from Iranian producers.

Liquorice & Peppermint Tea – Teapigs, Middlesex
www.teapigs.co.uk
nicole@teapigs.co.uk

Amacha Tea – Momo Cha Fine Teas, Essex www.momochafineteas.com contact@momochafineteas.com
Organically grown ‘Buddha tea’ comprising only rolled and dried leaves of Japanese Hortensia.

Double Fillet of Smoked Salmon – Stefan Palsson AB, Sweden www.stefanpalssonab.se

Jamon Iberico de Bellota – Jamones Juan Pedro Domecq SL, Spain www.jamonesjuanpedrodomecq.com julian@jamonesjpd.com
100% pure Iberico ham from 100% naturally reared, acorn-fed pigs.