Matsudai Ramen in Cardiff has been awarded a three-star Great Taste Award for its house Rayu Chilli Oil, placing it among the very best food and drink products judged in this year's competition.
As the highest accolade available through Great Taste, three stars are reserved for products judged to be “extraordinarily tasty”.
In 2026, more than 500 food and drink experts assessed and gave feedback on 15,038 products, with only 2.0% receiving the three-star rating.
Organised by the Guild of Fine Food, Great Taste is widely recognised as the world's largest and most trusted food and drink accreditation scheme. Every product is assessed through a rigorous, independent judging process involving chefs, buyers, food writers and retailers.
Created in Matsudai's Cardiff kitchen, Rayu Chilli Oil is a chunky, medium-spiced Japanese-style chilli oil packed with sesame and umami.
James Chant, founder of Matsudai Ramen, said:
“Three stars is the absolute dream result. We knew we were proud of the Rayu, but to have it recognised at the highest possible level by such an experienced and respected group of independent judges is massive for us.
“It started life as our house chilli oil, designed to bring heat, texture and another layer of savoury flavour to our ramen. But it quickly became something people wanted to put on absolutely everything.
“It has enough spice to give food a proper lift without overwhelming it, and the sesame, garlic, ginger and umami make it incredibly versatile. It can be used on eggs, rice bowls, fish, vegetables and stir-fries and, of course, on ramen.”
The Great Taste judges said:
“There is an utterly perfect balance of flavours here. The heat level threatens towards hiccups but is reined in at the last second by the sweetness and the savoury and umami notes. There is a backbone of multi-layered sesame throughout. It's stunning … as good as it gets. The judges had no shame going from tasting to eating.”
Matsudai began with a series of sell-out pop-ups before launching its nationwide ramen-kit delivery business during the pandemic, then opening its permanent restaurant in Grangetown.
The restaurant was later reviewed by national food critic Jay Rayner, who described Matsudai's ramen kits as “a small miracle when delivered halfway across the country”. Since it was founded, Matsudai has now shipped close to 50,000 orders across the UK.
James added:
“We make everything at Matsudai with a slightly obsessive level of care, so receiving three stars means a huge amount to the whole team; we have always wanted to show that a specialist ramen business from Wales can create products that stand alongside the best in the UK and beyond. This award will hopefully introduce more people across the country to the products we make here in Cardiff.”
