Food and drink products from Ireland have been awarded 16 three-star awards, the highest accolade, at the Great Taste Awards for 2022. The 14,205 entries were blind judged by a panel of 500 industry professionals over 90 days at venues in London and Dorset, and only 1.7 per cent were awarded three stars, including 11 from the Republic and five from Northern Ireland.
Dairy products, meat, smoked salmon, honey and preserves performed strongly at three-star level for the Republic, with supermarket chains SuperValu and Dunnes Stores the leading retailers in this division of award winners. In Northern Ireland, the three-star products were cheese, venison, charcuterie and sorbet.
Among the three-star winners, only one product, Wexford Home Preserves handmade Seville orange marmalade, also won three stars in 2021. Laura and Tom Sinnott, who make their preserves in New Ross, Co Wexford, travel to Ave Maria Farm in Seville to select the organic oranges for their marmalade.
Although administered in the UK, by the Guild of Fine Food, products made anywhere in the world can be entered for these awards, and this year 110 countries of origin were represented among the entries. All of the three-star products from the Republic were manufactured in Ireland; Musgrave Retail Partners (NI) Signature Tastes Gorgonzola cheese, made in Italy, was the only Northern Ireland three-star winner originating abroad.
Two-star and one-star awards were also made, with 5,556 (39.1 per cent) of the entries deemed worthy of an award. The Republic of Ireland accounted for 511 awards in total, with Northern Ireland claiming 159.
The three-star products will be rejudged to determine the winner of the regional awards and the supreme champion, which will be announced on Monday, September 5th. The complete list of one-, two- and three-star winners is available here.
Three-star Great Taste Award winners: Republic of Ireland
- Mileeven Fine Foods: Mileeven Pure Honeycomb, Straight from the Hive
- Wexford Home Preserves: Wexford Home Preserves Handmade Seville marmalade
- Dunnes Stores: Dunnes Stores Simply Better Hand Cut Irish Ham Fillet
- Dawn Meats Group: West of Ireland Lamb Rack
- Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland: SuperValu Cowboy Steak (over the counter)
- Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland: SuperValu Lamb Tomahawks
- KRD Fishery Smokehouse (Fishery Smokehouse Ltd): KRD Wild Irish Smoked Salmon
- Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland: SuperValu Sour Cream
- Dunnes Stores: Dunnes Stores Delicate & Smooth Crème Fraîche produced by Green Pastures (Donegal)
- Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland: Signature Tastes Gubbeen Cheese
- Scúp Gelato/Natural Ice Cream Wholesale: Natural Yogurt
Three-star Great Taste Award winners: Northern Ireland
- Ballylisk Dairies Ltd: The Single Rose, Ballylisk of Armagh farmhouse Brie
- Baronscourt Estate: Wild Sika Venison Loin
- Corndale Charcuterie: Corndale Chorizo Picante
- Morelli Ice Cream: Morelli’s Raspberry Sorbet
- Musgrave Retail Partners NI: Signature Tastes Gorgonzola Cheese (bulk)
