Irish producers are celebrating their success at the prestigious Great Taste Awards 2015, with over 300 different products being recognised, including eight products awarded the top accolade of three gold stars, and over 50 others in the two gold star category.
Three Irish products were named in the Top 50 winners of Great Taste 2015 – Cuinneog Irish Farmhouse Country Butter; Quinlan's Smoked Irish Organic Salmon; Quinlan's Smoked Irish Organic Salmon cured with Irish Atlantic Sea Salt.
The Irish three gold star winners were:
- Cuinneog Irish Farmhouse Butter
- Java Republic Rwandan
- James Whelan Butchers Beef Dripping
- Quinlan's Smoked Irish Organic Salmon
- Quinlan's Smoked Irish Organic Salmon cured with Irish Atlantic Sea Salt
- Bewley's Fair Trade Special Blend Tea
- Ballyhoura Mountain Mushrooms Cep Oil
- Ballyhoura Mountain Mushrooms Mushroom Vinegar
Michelle Butler from Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, commented: "Irish food and drink performed fantastically at this year's Great Taste Awards, with even more three gold star winners than in 2014.
"To receive such acclaim at these prestigious awards is great recognition of the high quality food and drink that is on offer from Ireland.
The Great Taste Awards success follows the celebrations at the recent International Cheese Awards in Nantwich, England, where 14 Irish cheesemakers won 69 awards.
Irish cheeses won eight trophies, 19 gold medals, 17 silver medals, 17 bronze medals and eight very highly commended from the 200 expert judges.
To see the full list of Irish Great Taste Awards winners:
greattasteawards.co.uk/
Great Taste
Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, is the acknowledged benchmark for fine food and drink. It has been described as the ‘Oscars' of the food world and the ‘epicurean equivalent of the Booker prize'. Quite simply the Great Taste logo is the sign you can trust when buying food and drink in your local, quality retailer.
In 2015 over 400 judges, including specially trained food writers inputting judges' comments, came together at 49 judging days from March through to early July. This year the Great Taste judging roadshow went to Wales with a week's tasting in Cardiff, supported by the Welsh Government. As ever we have judged at specialist test centres for tea, filter coffee and espresso with the remainder of the judging days at Guild HQ in Dorset. The judges, from all corners of the food world, blind-taste in teams of 4 or 5 ensuring we get a balance of expertise, age and gender.