Well the waiting is finally over and we haven't stopped smiling since !

We are delighted to have been awarded not one but two of the coveted top THREE STAR GOLD awards this year, more than we ever dreamed of.

The Damson Vinegar, which we make using the liquor from making the Pickled Damsons (also a gold winner!)  and then infuse the vinegar allowing the flavours to mellow and gives it a really lovely fruity taste. It is lovely with salads and added to sauces for a little piquancy.

The NEW Windermere Pale Real Ale Jelly, we are so thrilled that this won a top award, it is made using the Hawkshead Brewery Windermere Pale beer and finished with hops to give a high note that enhances the taste sensation, match this with a good hard cheese like Cheddar, Lancashire or with a smoked cheese such as Applewood Smoked and you will have a taste sensation that will have you yearning for more.   Mark and I went to the Slow Food show in Turin in 2012, whilst there we picked up a beer jelly that was dark and slightly cloying to taste, once home, Mark got into developing OUR beer jelly and took months to get the balance right combining the flavours and that added touch of hops at the end gives it a punch which is amazing. The hard work definitely paid off with results like these.  I am also delighted to learn that the Windermere Pale won a two star Gold in its own right as a beer, so we think it must be the first 5 STAR gold that has ever been awarded.

Finally, and not to be missed, our very own Hawkshead Relish won a one star GOLD as well, this is a vegetarian style Worcestershire Sauce we are delighted that at last it has been recognised as it is a lovely, mild condiment that I wouldn't be without in my kitchen, I add it to the obvious Cheese on Toast, but also to Bolognese, Soups, Gravies, anything that just needs a little pepping up.

So there you have it, 50 Great Taste Awards to date and we are just a but proud of that !

Judging at the Great Taste Awards

Having recently spent a couple of days judging the Great Taste Awards, I have to say the fact that we have been recipients of over 47 of them now holds a far greater gravitas than I had ever given them credit for in the past, firstly as we are proud of each and every product we make, we believe in them and want everyone to agree with us that they are all worthy of being award Winners,  but secondly having seen the process by which the judgement's are made I now know just how hard it is to impress enough and be considered a one star winner let alone a two or three star!

The Great Taste Awards are considered to be the pinnacle in the Artisan Food world and to get any award is difficult when over 20 people have to agree and then another group will adjudicate on your decision and either agree or disagree before a final decision is made which ultimately can make that product sing to the customers on the shop shelves or will see it lost to the good idea not well executed pile.

Tasting your way through over 80 different foods, from quiche, to sausage, sauces to ice creams, pies sweet and savoury,  snacks to cakes and juices to ciders it's hard to take it all in, but due consideration is given, serious thought and hopefully helpful criticism will help the producer (ourselves included) to listen, learn, evaluate, change and then enter again next year - the cheer and applause that went up in the room when a 3 star gold was found was clearly a high point for all the judges that day, we all loved to taste and be a part of finding something truly amazing, 

Being a judge is hard work, no matter what people say, tasting food and drinks all day long is not fun, it's not about eating! It's about tasting, understanding flavours and seeing that they work in harmony to create a dish that others will buy and enjoy and not just a blend of wacky flavours, ultimately the shops and delicatessens around the world will look to the awards to decide if it is something that they can stock and sell .

Before judging,I had no idea the complexity involved in running the awards, we have entered a few products this year and more than ever before I am now fascinated to know how we have done, and for the record, we did not judge any of our own products.  

I am pleased the process is as robust as I think it can be. Great care and attention is given in the way the process has been honed over the years, I still miss the clear Bronze, Silver &Gold awards but I can see now through the judging process that the star system does actually work better for a true and honest evaluation of the awards scheme.

So the outcome of the announcement of the 2013 awards now will be keenly awaited knowing the process and appreciation of what has to be achieved in order to win even a one star gold !