Organised by the Guild of Fine Food, the Great Taste Awards are known as the ‘Oscars’ of the food world and the ‘epicurean equivalent of the Booker prize’.
They are a respected benchmark of the best food and drink currently available in shops and markets across Great Britain.
Local Food Britain founder, Tracy Carroll, is proud to have been among the judges who blind tasted their way through nearly 13,000 food and drink products in recent months.
From all the products entered into this year's Great Taste Awards, only 192 foods achieved the highest and most coveted rating of three stars, while 1,207 grabbed 2 stars and 3,254 were awarded one star.
That means only 37% of entries were accredited – it's a tough business but it helps to explain why the awards are so coveted.
This year, a number of Local Food Britain members have received stars and below we shine a quick spotlight on them all. Congratulations to all the hardworking teams involved.
3 stars ***
South Downs Salted Butter, Bookham Harrison Farms
Rudgwick, West Sussex
Bookham Harrison's butter is made in the traditional way using top quality cream. Their cream is aged for three days before it is churned using traditional methods, ensuring maximum flavour.
2 stars **
Briscoe's Furious Chilli Jelly, Briscoe's Jellies
Merstham, Surrey
A Scotch Bonnet jellyment for meats, cheeses and chilli lovers. Dip, spread, mix or add, to enhance your favourite foods with wonderful flavours.
Charlie's Cold Oak Smoked Trout, Charlie's Trout
Pulborough, West Sussex
At Charlie's Trout, the fish is harvested to order from the crystal-clear waters of the historic Longford Estate in Wiltshire and then smoked for up to 16 hours using only the finest oak sawdust.
Plum Pudding with Fruit Gin, LillyPuds
Chelmsford, Essex
LillyPuds' yummy Plum Pudding is scrumptiously light with a soft fruity texture complemented by the fruity gin. It is also suitable for vegetarians and does not contain any dairy ingredients.
Palak Dal, Surrey Spice
Guildford, Surrey
Surrey Spice's nutritious dal is made from split yellow lentils, lots of baby spinach for that added goodness and depth and fresh tomatoes to balance the flavours.
Silly Moo Cider, Trenchmore Farm
Cowfold, West Sussex
Silly Moo is a civilised farmhouse cider that marries east coast and West Country styles. Trenchmore Farm blends their fully fermented cider with more apple juice to balance it.
1 star *
Clearly Juice Red Love, Biddenden Vineyards
Biddenden, Kent
Clearly Juice Red Love apple juice is made using 100% Red Love apples. The apples are grown at East Malling Research by AG Thames, before being pressed and bottled at Biddenden Vineyards.
Cranberry & Port Jelly, Briscoe's Jellies
Merstham, Surrey
A cranberry and port jellyment for red meats, blue cheese and gravy. Briscoe's time-honoured traditional techniques create a soft and clear set product with a unique ability to preserve flavour.
Gorgeous Garlic Jelly, Briscoe's Jellies
Merstham, Surrey
A garlic jellyment for cheese, roasts, frying and toast. When using in cooking, always add at the very end so not to burn the jelly.
Labin 192, Chimney Fire Coffee
Ranmore Common, Surrey
A 50/50 blend of Arabica coffees from Cajamarca, Peru and Planadas, Colombia, Chimney Fire Coffee's Labin 192 is organic and fair-trade.
G-Nuts Peanuts, G-Nuts
Hampton Wick, Surrey
Unlike many mass-produced peanuts, G-Nuts' peanuts contain no oil and are seasoned only with sea salt, allowing the delicious taste of the nuts to shine through.
Unbranded Infantry Very Hot Sauce, Hot Pods Chilli Products
Woking, Surrey
An intensely hot sauce combining roasted red peppers, grapes, and super hot chillies. They don't do things by halves at Hot Pods Chilli Products and this sauce even carries a warning on the bottle!
Gluten Free Christmas Pudding, LillyPuds
Chelmsford, Essex
LillyPuds work hard to ensure their products are as free from unnatural ingredients wherever possible – and this version of their famous Christmas pudding means even more people can enjoy their festive goodness.
Parmesan and nigella seed thins, Sussex Gourmand
Brighton, East Sussex
Best known for their delicious bresaola, which recently featured on Top of the Shop with Tom Kerridge, it was Sussex Gourmand's parmesan and nigella seed thins that stole the show this time.
Trenchmore Heritage Wheat Berries, Trenchmore Farm
Cowfold, West Sussex
Trenchmore Heritage Wheat Berries are cleaned and then packaged - as close to unprocessed as you might like your food to be. These grains are packed with protein and fibre and perfect for salads, risottos and stews.
Home smoked salmon, Williams and Bunkell Fishmongers
Claygate, Surrey
Williams and Bunkell smoke and hand slice their salmon themselves; use quality Shetland salmon from small independent farms; and dry cure it for 24 hours before smoking over pure oak for 18 hours.
Home smoked haddock, Williams and Bunkell Fishmongers
Claygate, Surrey
Like their award-winning salmon, Williams and Bunkell's haddock is a labour of love and is dry cured and then smoked over oak for 8 to 10 hours.
- Bookham Harrison Farms, Briscoe's Jellies, LillyPuds, Surrey Spice, Chimney Fire Coffee and Sussex Gourmand are all attending Local Food Britain's Countryside Food Festival on Saturday September 15, 10am to 4pm. Click here for more information.
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