Cheshire food and drink producers savour Great Taste Awards success

Two-star award winners, deemed by the judges to be of “outstanding” quality include fast-growing Neston coffee roastery Elephant, which picked up the honour for its House blend and Kenyan Kiambu coffee, Kelsall-based Weetwood Ales for its Vienna Lager and The Estate Dairy in Cholmondeley which won 2 stars for its 500g Greek Inspired 10% Yoghurt, Salted Cultured Butter and Jersey Milk Cottage Cheese.

Other notable 2-star winners included Cheshire Farm Ice Cream in Tattenhall for its Strawberries and Cream Ice Cream, Delamare Dairy for its plain goat’s yoghurt and spreadable goat’s cheese, the Great Northern Spice Company in Northwich for its Garlic and Herb Sea Salt Pot and Holmes Chapel-based Rogue Artisan Ice Cream for its Matcha Mokuren.

The final two 2-star recipients from Cheshire were Crewe-based Darlington and Daughters for its Mrs Darlington’s Lemon Curd and Burt’s Cheese for its Bidlea Blue.

More than 20 Cheshire producers also picked up 1-star awards, labelled “simply delicious” by the judges, including Chester-headquartered Bio & Me, Clotton Creamery, Daresbury Dairy, Bollington-based Happy Valley Honey, Red Willow Brewery in Macclesfield and Warrington-based Woody Oven.

Emma Mitchell, owner of Elephant Roastery in Neston, said: “We’re immensely proud to have received three Great Taste Awards this year.

“To see House earn two stars for the second-year running was already an incredible achievement, but for Kiambu and Mogiana (which won 1-star) to be recognised alongside it made it even more special.

“There’s a huge amount of work behind every coffee we produce, so these awards are a real credit to the care and dedication of our whole team.”

Over 105 days, across the Guild’s judging rooms in London, Dorset, Ireland and Italy, over 800 industry experts took part in the unique judging process that makes Great Taste the most respected food and drink accreditation scheme in the world. The panel included chefs, critics, product developers, retailers, writers, and other specialists from the world of food and drink. They were presented with each product stripped of all branding, packaging and other identifying features, and had to unanimously decide what rating to give it.

Taste is considered first and foremost, followed by appearance, aroma, texture, and mouthfeel. Each entry is judged on its own merit and not compared to others in the same class. A short factual description from the producer helps guide the judgement with any relevant information.

Perhaps the least well-known element of Great Taste is the judges’ feedback which is shared with the producers irrespective of whether they have achieved a star-rating. This constructive analysis can be instrumental in product development, helping producers refine recipes, improve consistency, and understand how their products perform in a competitive market.

John Farrand, Managing Director, Guild of Fine Food, said: “Food security is becoming an increasingly pressing issue across the globe, so it feels more pertinent now than at any other time in our 30-year history to be supporting and promoting independent producers and retailers.

“Our directory of award recipients is a rich source of data, guiding people from all walks of life to make informed decisions about their food & drink choices. Great Taste is all about celebrating craftmanship and dedication to well-sourced local ingredients and traditional, often simple production methods which is more important now than ever.”

Countries entering Great Taste for the first time in 2026 included Armenia, Bermuda, Bolivia, Burundi, Ethiopia, Grenada, Libya, Mozambique and Sierra Leone.

Great Taste is organised and run by the Guild of Fine Food. Now in its 33^rd year, it is considered the largest, longest standing and most respected food and drink accreditation scheme in the world, championing artisan and speciality producers.

The Guild exists to represent all good independent food & drink businesses at a local, national, international and governmental level; building a diverse and inclusive collective of producers, retailers and food lovers who celebrate well-made produce.