Suki Tea brews a Top 50 winning blend

Suki Tea in Belfast celebrates as its fruit blend 'Apple Loves Mint' is in the spotlight as a 2014 Great Taste Top 50 Foods. Out of 10,000 entries, Suki Teahouse has risen to the top to be named one of Britain's Top 50 Foods.

Oscar Woolley, Suki Tea managing director, says: "It's an amazing achievement to be named one the Top 50 Foods. This is a massive result for us, and the cafés and distributors who sell our tea on will benefit greatly from this. This was one of two three star awards we received this year totalling 27 awards to date.

"The tea was blind tasted, tasted and tasted again by some of the most demanding and knowledgeable judges in the country, who only choose the most exquisite food to be in the Top 50. This fruit blend is in our top six and available in hundreds of cafés across the UK. Our caffeine-free fruit tea that is making waves seems to get people very excited and quite rightly so.

"The baby rose buds and papaya chunks could almost be mistaken for jewels or sweeties. A layered flavour starting with the slight acidity of crisp apple, then sweet papaya, followed by a subtle rose hint and finally fresh mint. Visually stunning and a proper treat to drink. The sign of a good tea, always leaves you wanting more."

This result means that Apple Loves Mint joins the ranks of some of the most outstanding foods available. It also means that the Apple Loves Mintis in with a chance of winning a Great Taste Golden Fork Award, one of the highest accolades in the world of fine food. Simply put, these are products worth searching for and worth savouring.

Judged by over 400 of the most demanding palates belonging to food critics, chefs, cooks, Women's Institute judges, farmers and a host of food writers and journalists, Great Taste is widely acknowledged as the most respected food accreditation scheme for artisan and speciality food producers. When a product wears a Great Taste label it carries a badge of honour but more importantly, the Great Taste logo is a signpost to a wonderful tasting product - and hundreds of judges have worked hard to discover the very best through hours and hours of blind-tasting a total of 10,000 different foods and drink.

Great Taste is simply about taste, not clever branding or smart packaging. Judges are presented with a spoonful of jam, a pie, a slice of salami, or a cup of espresso, with no wrappings, jars or marks - and they taste, confer and re-taste before making the decision on whether a product should be a 1-, 2- or 3-star winner. In total more than 12 judges will have tasted and commented on each product.

This year a massive 10,000 products entered into Great Taste and of those products, 153 have been awarded 3-star. A panel of supremely talented judges including; Masterchef judge and restaurant critic Charles Champion, BBC Food Programme presenter Sheila Dillon, Great British Bake Off winner Frances Quinn, MasterChef 2013 Natalie Coleman, food buyers from Harrods, Fortnum & Mason, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Whole Food Markets, and chefs including Michelin Star chef Russell Brown have together re-judged and tasted yet again the 3-star winners to finally agree on the 2014 Top 50 Foods, the Golden Fork Trophy winners as well as the new 2014 Supreme Champion.

Finally on Monday, 8 September, at a nail-biting Awards' Dinner at the Royal Garden Hotel, London, the great and the good from the world of fine food will gather to hear who has won the Golden Fork Awards and the final applause will be reserved for the Great Taste Supreme Champion 2014.