Three Northern Ireland companies in top Great Taste Awards

Three Northern Ireland companies have won the highest category for excellence in this year's Great Taste Awards. They were among almost70 Northern Ireland companies winning almost 200 'stars' in the annual competition. The three companies achieving three stars were: Baronscourt Estate Venison, Omagh, county Tyrone for its Wild Sika French Rack; Fivemiletown Creamery/Dale Farm for its Ballyoak smoked brie; and Genesis Crafty, Magherafelt, county Londonderry for its hand chuffedwheaten loaf with buttermilk The three companies will now be in the running to win the Supreme Champion award for 2015 as well as the Northern Ireland Regional Golden Fork and a listing in the Top 50 Foods. Twenty two products from The Great Taste Awards is an annual competition organised by the UK Guild of Fine Food. In addition to the three achieving three stars, 17 Northern Ireland companies were awarded two stars for 22 products and over 40 one star in the prestigious event. The Great Taste Awards, sponsored by Harrods, is now regarded internationally as the 'Oscars' of the food and drink industry and are highly regarded by major retailers, high-end delis and independent stores particularly in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. Many companies have found that success in previous Great Taste Awards has led to business in Europe, the Middle East and the US. Results 2015 Products achieving Three Stars Baronscourt Venison, Omagh - wild Sika venison French rack Fivemiletown/Dale Farm Ballyoak cheese Genesis Crafty, Magherafelt - SuperValu hand chuffed wheaten loaf with buttermilk Products achieving Two Stars Alfie Murray Butchers, Killyleagh - prime grass-fed spring led of lamb on the bone Ann's Pantry, Larne - Traditional Irish oven brown soda with Guinness Cookie Jar, Newcastle - wheaten bread Dale Farm, Belfast - Boilie goat's cheese Spelga Greek style yoghurt with nixed berry fruits East Coast Seafoods, Downpatrick - Hand picked brown crab meat Hot oak and beer smoked salmon En Place Foods, Cookstown - Black garlic morstada Glastry Farm Ice Cream, Kircubbin - Ling honey ice cream Genesis Crafty, Magherafelt - Almond Bakewell Hillstown Brewery, Randalstown - Goat's Butt wheat beer La Coquine, Holywood - Masala Chai chocolates Salted caramel chocolates Lynn's Court, Downpatrick - Asda Butcher's Selection Chicago inspired hickory smoked cheddar and jalapeno hot dog Morelli's Ice Cream, Coleraine - Carmelised hazelnut ice cream Rhubarb and custard ice cream Pure Roast Coffee, Lisburn - Mama Cata Farm single origin coffee from Panama Rule of Thumb, Antrim - gluten-free blueberry muffin SD Bell, Belfast - Blend of high-grown 100 per cent orthodox team from Assam Suki Teahouse, Belfast - Belfast Brew Tea Nana Mint Tea Sloan's Bacon, Kilrea - smoked dry-cured bacon from local pork Yellow Door Deli, Portadown - Rich traditional home made Christmas pudding Products achieving One Star Abernethy Butter, Dromara - Dulse and Sea Salt Butter Alfie Murray Butchers, Killyleagh - Cubed steak pie Prime chump steak Amberline Preserves, Dungannon - fragrant wild rose syrup Ann's Pantry, Larne - Custard tart Irish all-butter shortbread Oatmeal biscuits Spelt btown soda Spelt Madeira cake Spelt potato bread Armagh Cider, Portadown - AJ pure apple juice Baronscourt Venison, Omagh - Wild Sika venison loin Wild sika venison sausage Blackthorn Foods, Belfast - butter fudge Brambleberry Jam, Lisburn - sea salted caramel jam Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil, Limavady - Original rapeseed oil Black truffle and porcini Rapeseed infused with garlic Rapeseed infused with lemon Chapman's, Portadown - Luxury mincemeat Ocean fish pie Cherry Tree Bakery, Lisnaskea - wheaten bread Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt, Bangor - Greek style yoghurt Madagascan vanilla strained yoghurt Crust and Crumb, Derrylin - stonebaked goat's cheese and caramelised red onion pizza En Place Foods, Cookstown - Apricot extra fruit jam with lemon, rosewater, vanilla and orange Chipotle smoked chilli relish Chorizo picante savoury jam with Oloroso sherry Korean BBQ sauce Dale Farm, Belfast - Fresh whipping cream Loseley salted butter Luxury natural yoghurt Extra mature cheese Mature cheddar Spelga Greek style yoghurt with honey Dart Mountain Cheese, Dungiven - Kilcreen Alpine style cheese Donnybrewer Handcrafted Butter, Eglinton - handcrafted butter Eastcoast Seafoods, Downpatrick - oak smoked salmon Farmhouse Treats, Carryduff - Butter shortbread Finnebrogue, Downpatrick - Rankin Selection outdoor bred pork sausages Forest Feast/Kestrel Foods, Craigavon - Louisiana BBQ mix Four Season's Deli, Belfast - black olive tapenade Genesis Crafty, Magherafelt - Mini sultana scones Traditional Irish buttermilk soda Hand chuffed Irish with buttermilk flour bread topped with oats and sliced to toaster size Wheaten scones Gracehill, Ballymena - white pudding Graham's Bakery, Dromore - coffee and oatmeal bites Hilden Brewery, Lisburn - Buck's Head Ale Headless Dog Ale Hillstown Farm, Randalstown - 35-day aged ribeye steak Seak and stout pie Keen Nutrition, Bangor - almond crunchy maple nut butter Keenan Seafoods, Belfast - natural oak smoked cod loin Kennedy Bacon, Omagh - dry-cured back bacon Kilmegan Cider, Dundrum - Dry cider with elderflower Bottle conditioned cider KraziBaker, Dromore - shortbread biscuits Indian Nights Inn, Magherafelt - butter chicken Irwin's Bakery, Portadown - Barmbrack Traditional potato bread La Coquine Chocolates, Holywood - Safari Joe Chocolate L'artisan Foods, Craigavon - Natas puff pastry with Portuguese custard Quiche Lorraine Sn dried tomato quiche Long Meadow Cider, Loughgall - Medium craft cider Sweet cider Long's Supermarket, Londonderry - Individual hand kneaded baps Potato farls Steakburger MA Quaill, Dromore - dry-aged sirloin steak Mash Direct, Comber - Home-grown carrot and parsnip Carrot, parsnip and turnip mash Maud's Ice Cream, Carrickfergus - Honeycomb ice cream Pistachio ice cream Raspberry and cream ice cream McAtamney Butchers, Ballymena - Gourmet steak pie Sirloin steak McErlains Bakery, Magherafelt - Supervalu Sean's brown bread Miss McKeown's, Bangor - Heritage breakfast Mint humbugs New Found Joy, Lurgan - gluten-free rocky roads Morelli's Ice Cream, Coleraine - espresso coffee flavoured ice cream Niche Drinks, Londonderry - Tesco's Finest salted caramel Irish cream liqueur Northbound Brewery, Londonderry - Kolsch styled beer Passion Preserved, Lisburn - Spiced Damson Jelly PEPPUP Sauces, Newtownards - Roasted pepper tomato ketchup Mild chilli ketchup Reduced sugar and salt ketchup PopNotch, Draperstown - sweet and sour popcorn Pure Roast Coffee, Lisburn - Signature coffee Swiss water decaff coffee Quail's Fine Foods, Banbridge - 28-day Himalayan salt aged steak Homemade pastrami Rich Sauces, Newtownards - BBQ mustard sauce, Garlic mayo Rib and wing sauce Rule of Thumb, Antrim - Gluten-free corn flakes Gluten-free rolls SD Bell, Belfast - Director's Brew Columbian Supremo Coffee Sloan's Bacon, Kilrea - dry-cured back bacon Suki Teahouse, Belfast - Rainforest Alliance certified Indian Assam tea Breakfast Tea Chamomile Tea Earl Grey Blue Flower tea Fairtrade Rainforest Alliance Blue Flower Peppermint tea Red berry infusion Summer Garden Salads, Dungannon - roasted vegetable lasagne Thompson's Family Teas, Belfast - Decaff tea bags Perfect peppermint Punjana original Whites Oats, Tandragee - Hazelnut, almond and honey granola Quick cook porridge oats Whitewater Brewing Company, Kilkeel - Belfast Ale and Belfast Lager Yummy Bakes, Newtownabbey - Oatie biscuits Shortbread biscuits