The Guild of Fine Food
When you are in a supermarket, farm shop, or deli, have you ever wondered what the black sticker saying ‘Great Taste’, with one, two or three gold stars means and how it got there? Here I can offer a small glimpse of the process and why those stickers are so important.
Great Taste forms part of the Guild of Fine Food, a community dedicated to the protection of speciality food and drink. Having always worked in the food industry, I believe knowing the provenance of the food you are cooking (whether it is a steak or a sauce) is key.
I was brought up in the highlands of Scotland, where access to shops was limited and the choice even more so (think tinned carrots). With this in mind my mother would grow a vast array of fruit and vegetables which we often made into jams or preserves. Knowing about the process, from beginning to end inspired my love of food. Whilst I didn’t realise it at the time, I acquired an appreciation for things made from scratch in small batches, which I believe ultimately gives the best flavour. I went on to train at Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland, where we were taken to see cheese producers, butchers and fishmonger’s, to have a true understanding of where food comes from, the importance of quality and an appreciation of the work put in to producing these items made in small batches by individuals.
This love for food ended up becoming my career, I worked for Leiths cookery school, where I was surrounded by incredible individuals who talked passionately about produce and making sure the quality was always there. When we moved out of London to Somerset, we decided to buy our village pub. We have made food our main focus, with an emphasis on local suppliers, (what an incredible choice we have in this area) and making everything in house from scratch, from our treacle bread through to the relish in the burgers.
Shortly after moving to the area, I made the serendipitous discovery that the Guild of Fine Food’s headquarters are based just down the road from me in Gillingham, Dorset. Guild of Fine Food was established in 1995 by Bob Farrand along with Great Taste and its sister accreditation, World Cheese Awards. The concept was simple: retailers and producers need help and support to show consumers that the highest quality, best tasting food is very often prepared in small batches by dedicated makers using fresh, honest ingredients.
Great Taste judges are chosen based on their credentials within the food industry, there are now over 500 experts on the panel, comprising food critics, chefs, recipe creators, buyers, retailers, and other specialists in the field of food and drink. I was delighted to be selected as a judge, for me part of the joy is to be re-connected with a dynamic and passionate group of people. Judging days run from 9am – 5pm, it’s a long day with a huge range of products tasted, from puddings and preserves through to meat and cheese. Judges are placed in small groups, with each product being tasted and assessed multiple times in order to reach a broad range of palates. There is no indication of who the producer is, the tasting is completely blind and there is often heated debate as to the number of stars (if any) that should be awarded. Having seen the rigorous process and scrutiny each and every product is subject to, I know the stars are hard fought for, especially the coveted 3-stars.
To give you an idea of the scale of Great Taste, in 1994, fewer than a hundred foods in five different classes took twelve experts no more than three hours to blind taste; in 2024 nearly 3,500 companies from 115 countries around the world entered Great Taste, between them offering around 13,500 – 14,000 products for review each year, with about 70% of entries coming from the UK.
Entries are analysed across around 90 judging days, each product receiving detailed feedback, whether or not they obtain an award. Only 1.9% of all entries (266 in total globally) received a 3-stars last year, given to ‘extraordinarily tasty food and drink’. With 10.1%, 1,386 in total globally, being awarded 2-stars, for being ‘above and beyond delicious’ and 28.8%, 3,938 in total globally, obtaining 1-star, ‘food and drink that delivers fantastic flavour’.
Last year saw the launch of the Great Taste Podcast (www.greattastepodcast.com) which took listeners behind the scenes of the judging process and introduced them to various producers and retailers up and down the country, in a bid to showcase more about where great-tasting food comes from and who makes it – and why that’s so important for all of us. This year, Great Taste will also have a judging room in Italy for the first time.
It is an exciting time to play a very small part in this incredible organisation, which is growing in recognition every day, whilst remaining steadfast to its roots as a family run business . The Guild ischampioning small producers and highlighting their importance. So next time you see the black label with its gold stars you will know that you are not only buying a fantastic product which has been tasted and tested on your behalf, but that you are also supporting small producers from around the world.
About Great Taste
A Great Taste award has a validity of three years, i.e. a Great Taste 2025 label will be valid, and may be displayed on an accredited product, until the results are released for Great Taste 2028. All awards must always be displayed against the exact product for which they have been awarded.
The full list of previous winners and where you can buy them can be found in the Guild’s directory: www.gff.co.uk/directory .
As well as the two internationally recognised accreditation schemes, Great Taste and World Cheese Awards, the Guild of Fine Food is known for publishing the industry-leading magazine, Fine Food Digest. Plus, further events including the Golden Forks award ceremony and Great Taste markets, trade shows, training sessions and member initiatives throughout the year.