Out of 10,000 entrants only 153 producers were awarded with three stars - the competitions highest accolade while 2,531 producers were awarded with one star and 697 were awarded with two stars.
Organised by the Guild of Fine Foods, Great Taste 2014 recognises the best in speciality food and drink and is judged by over 400 food industry experts including food critics, chefs and writers.
Judging
This year’s panel of judges included MasterChef judge and restaurant critic Charles Campion, BBC Food Programme presenter Sheila Dillon, Great British Bake Off winner Frances Quinn and chef James Golding from the Pig hotel group.
The judges taste 25 foods in each sitting and look for texture, appearance and taste with a producer only achieving three stars if every judge attending that session - which could be up to 40 – unanimously agrees that the food delivers that indescribable, exquisite ‘wow’ factor.
Three star producers
Producers awarded three stars include Uig Lodge from Scotland with a hand sliced side of smoked salmon; Flower Power City in London with organic seaweed and rock salt sourdough torsade; Hannan Meats in Northern Ireland with a Himalayan salt aged rib chop and Ashridge Cider from Devon with Ashridge’s sparkling vintage cider.
Organisers suggest pubs can create their own Great Taste Tasting Menu using produce including free range Gloucester old spot pork belly from Primrose Herd, Gigot of Hogget from Annanwater in Scotland and blackcurrant with juniper dark truffle from the White Rabbit Chocolate Co. in East Yorkshire.
Golden Fork Awards
The judges will then reconvene to re-judge and re-taste the three star winners to finally agree on the 2014 Top 50 Foods, the Golden Fork Trophy winners and the Great Taste Supreme Champion 2014.
The next stage will involve the Top 50 Foods being announced on Twitter before the Great Taste Supreme Champion 2014 and the regional Golden Fork winners are announced in London on 8 September.
For further information on winners visit http://greattasteawards.co.uk/