More than 100 food and drink products from Hampshire and the Isle of Wight were featured in the Guild of Fine Food's Great Taste Awards 2024.
The awards are now in their 31st year and there were entries from almost 3,500 companies across 115 countries.
Each entry was meticulously blind-tasted by the guild’s expert judging panel of more than 500 food critics, chefs, recipe creators, buyers, retailers, and other specialists in the field of food and drink.
Entries were analysed across 92 judging days and each received detailed feedback - whether or not they obtained an award.
Products receive a one, two or three-star rating if they are ranked among the best by judges.
Three stars are given to ‘extraordinarily tasty food and drink’, two stars to products that are ‘above and beyond delicious’ and one star for ‘food and drink that delivers fantastic flavour’.
The full list of products awarded in the Great Taste Awards can be found on the website here.
What Hampshire and Isle of Wight items were awarded by the Great Taste Awards 2024?
Only one product from Hampshire and the Isle of Wight received three stars, which was the pear, fennel and tarragon-filled chocolate bon bon from Crane Events Ltd in Andover.
A further 19 were rated as two stars and a whole host of others received a one star showing a huge breadth of quality across the counties.
John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food, said: “It’s hugely important to us at the Guild to inject some positivity into the speciality food and drink industry.
"Given the economic headwinds that both independent retailers and small and medium producers are facing, the announcement of the 2024 crop of Great Taste stars is now an annual fillip for us all.
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"And it’s not just excellence from the UK, but from across the world, as we celebrate the best from 115 countries.
"We’re doing our bit for cultural relations across the planet when there is so much legislation trying to prevent it.
"It’s a real privilege to support and underpin independent makers through the process of Great Taste.”
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