Eight local foods in Top 50 for taste in UK and Ireland
Eight Northern Ireland foods have been listed among the Top 50 tastiest in Britain by the influential Guild of Fine Food. The list for 2014 was finalised at the weekend
The guild, organiser of the annual UK Great Taste Awards, named foods from five local companies among the Top 50. They included five separate beef and bacon products from one producer, Hannan Meats of Moira in Co Down. It means that Hannan Meats provided a record 10 per cent of the Top 50 Foods ub Britain and Ireland.
The other local companies making the Top 50 are: Baronscourt Estate in Omagh for its venison loin; Maud's Ice Cream in Carrickfergus for strawberry and cream ice cream; and Suki Teahouse, the Belfast boutique tea blender. Northern Ireland had more foods in the Top 50 than any other region of the British Isles apart from England. And 50 per cent of the meat dishes on the list came from two local companies, Hannan Meats and Baronscourt Estate Venison.
The Top 50 Foods are announced by the guild ahead of the final judging in this year's Great Taste Awards, on 8thSeptember, which will see the overall Supreme Champion food producer named by a panel of food experts. Northern Ireland has won the supreme championship on two separate occasions - McCartney's Butchers, Moira in 2011 and Hannan Meats, also based in Moira the following year.
Peter Hannan, managing director Hannan Meats, says: "We are really delighted to have gained five listings. This is good for us and for Northern Ireland food.
"What the Great Taste Awards does better than any other event of its type is to shine a spotlight on a region and pick out the very best food and drink, products with outstanding taste and originality. The glow of achievement spreads far and wide because the awards are now recognised internationally and especially by major retailers and leading chefs. Success in the Great Taste Awards is a route to business both here and abroad," he adds.
Hannan Meats is the most successful food producer in the UK in terms of gold awards from the Guild of Fine Food, achieving 128 over the past four years.
The guild, at the start of the Great Taste process, issues gold stars - 1,2,3 depending on quality of taste and originality. Three star winners are then judged for the Top 50 Foods and those listed companies are then in the running for the Supreme Champion Award, which will be announced at a gala dinner on 8thSeptember in London.
This year Northern Ireland food producers broke all previous records in terms of gold stars. A total of 101 local companies racked up an unprecedented 371 gold stars with 11 achieving three-star ranking for 18 products - including seven to Hannan Meats. Significantly 11 of the 18 products listed as three star winners were from meat, among the most successful and innovative food sectors.
The 18 products to rate three-stars go forward to the final stage of the awards on 8 September in London, when the Supreme Champion Award will be announced along with other category winners in the Ambient Foods, Farmshop and Deli Signature Dish and the Northern Ireland Regional Fork. The Northern Ireland companies will also be in the running to be included in the Top 50 Foods.
This year's awards included the first-ever judging session to be held in Belfast and hosted by Invest Northern Ireland. Overall, 405 judges including leading retail buyers, chefs and food writers were involved in the seven-week judging process that involved 10,000 individual products from the UK and Republic of Ireland.