Great Taste Stars Shine Bright for Welsh Food and Drink

Food & Drink , 2nd September 2022

Great Taste, the world’s most coveted food and drink awards, has announced its stars of 2022, and a host of delicious Welsh food and drink products have been stamped with a gold seal of approval.

A remarkable 182 Welsh products, ranging from small independent artisan producers to large scale distributors, have been successful at the 2022 awards, with 129 products achieving 1-star, 46 receiving 2-stars and 7 earning the gold stamp of approval with 3-stars.

The seven Welsh products that have this year been recognised to deliver 3-star “extraordinarily tasty foods” status are:

Bay Coffee Roasters – Indonesian Sumatran Fairtrade Organic
Mario’s Luxury Dairy Ice Cream – Espresso Martini Ice Cream
Parva Spices – Sambal Hijau
Pembrokeshire Lamb Ltd – Hogget Mince
Pembrokeshire Sea Salt Co – Sea Salt with Saffron
Tasty Bites @ Ionas Kitchen – Curried Goat Patti
The Wye Valley Meadery – Hive Mind: Big Smoke – Smoked Honey Porter

Congratulating the winning producers, Welsh Government Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd, Lesley Griffiths, said:

“I am pleased at the number of awards which have been deservedly won by Welsh food and drink producers at the Great Taste 2022 Awards.

“We have some of the best food a drink products in the world and it is great to see the commitment and hard work of businesses being recognised by the judges from the much respected Guild of Fine Food.

“I would encourage people in Wales as well as visitors to support our Welsh food and drink businesses and try some of their fantastic products.

“A huge congratulations to all of our Welsh companies on their achievements in this year’s Awards and the Welsh Government will continue to support the sector and help it thrive into the future.”

Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, is the world’s largest and most trusted food and drink accreditation scheme that tests both food and drink. The awards have been running since 1994 and the products are blind-tasted by selected chefs, cooks, buyers, retailers, restaurateurs, food critics and writers.

John Farrand, managing director at the Guild of Fine Food comments:

“The standard of Welsh entries has been outstanding again in 2022. We are seeing products of high quality, innovation and creativity.

“I was extremely impressed to see that many of the entries have come from businesses which started trading in the last year or two, these are companies who incorporated in the middle of the most challenging period in economic and social history. And they’re thriving.

“It isn’t easy doing what these producers do, neither for the start-ups nor the established businesses. Growing a business and a brand in the food industry has so many variables to consider from standards, to policies, learning to sell and market your products, and that’s before you think about aiming for excellence in the taste and flavour of your products. I have the utmost admiration for them all.”

The three nominees for the regional title of ‘Golden Fork from Wales’ include Mario’s Luxury Dairy Ice Cream for their Espresso Martini Ice Cream; Tasty Bites @ Ionas Kitchen for their Curried Goat Patti and Bay Coffee Roasters for their Indonesian Sumatran Fairtrade Organic. The winner will be announced on Monday 5 September 2022.

A full list of this year’s winners and where to buy them can be found at www.greattasteawards.co.uk

Mae Great Taste, sef gwobrau bwyd a diod mwyaf poblogaidd y byd, wedi cyhoeddi ei sêr o 2022, ac mae llu o gynhyrchion bwyd a diod blasus o Gymru cael sêl bendith aur.

Mae 182 o gynhyrchion Cymreig rhyfeddol, yn amrywio o gynhyrchwyr crefftus annibynnol bach i ddosbarthwyr ar raddfa fawr, wedi bod yn llwyddiannus yng ngwobrau 2022, gyda 129 o gynhyrchion yn cael 1-seren, 46 yn derbyn 2 seren a 7 yn ennill y stamp aur o gymeradwyaeth gyda 3 seren.

Dyma’r saith cynnyrch Cymreig sydd wedi cael statws “bwydydd hynod flasus” 3-seren eleni:

Bay Coffee Roasters – Sumatran Indonesiaidd Masnach Deg Organig
Mario’s Luxury Dairy Ice Cream – Hufen Iâ Espresso Martini
Parva Spices – Sambal Hijau
Pembrokeshire Lamb Ltd – Briwgig Hesbin
Pembrokeshire Sea Salt Co – Halen Môr gyda Saffrwm
Tasty Bites @ Ionas Kitchen – Patti Gafr â blas cyrri
The Wye Valley Meadery – Hive Mind: Big Smoke – Porter Mêl Mwg

Wrth longyfarch y cynhyrchwyr buddugol, dywedodd Gweinidog Llywodraeth Cymru dros Faterion Gwledig a Gogledd Cymru, a’r Trefnydd, Lesley Griffiths:

“Rwy’n falch o’r nifer o wobrau sydd wedi’u hennill yn haeddiannol gan gynhyrchwyr bwyd a diod o Gymru yng Ngwobrau Great Taste 2022.

“Mae gennyn ni rai o’r cynhyrchion bwyd a diod gorau yn y byd ac mae’n wych gweld ymrwymiad a gwaith caled busnesau’n cael eu cydnabod gan y beirniaid o’r Guild of Fine Food sy’n uchel eu parch.

“Byddwn yn annog pobl yng Nghymru yn ogystal ag ymwelwyr i gefnogi ein busnesau bwyd a diod Cymreig a rhoi cynnig ar rai o’u cynnyrch gwych.

“Llongyfarchiadau enfawr i bob un o’n cwmnïau Cymreig ar eu llwyddiant yn y Gwobrau eleni a bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i gefnogi’r sector a’i helpu i ffynnu i’r dyfodol.”

Great Taste, a drefnir gan y Guild of Fine Food, yw cynllun achredu bwyd a diod mwyaf a mwyaf dibynadwy’r byd sy’n profi bwyd a diod. Mae'r gwobrau wedi bod yn rhedeg ers 1994 ac mae'r cynhyrchion yn cael eu blasu’n ddall gan gogyddion, chefs, prynwyr, manwerthwyr, perchnogion bwytai, beirniaid ac awduron bwyd dethol.

Meddai John Farrand, rheolwr gyfarwyddwr y Guild of Fine Food:

“Mae safon y ceisiadau Cymreig wedi bod yn rhagorol eto yn 2022. Rydyn ni’n gweld cynnyrch o ansawdd uchel, blaengaredd a chreadigedd.

“Cefais argraff fawr iawn o weld bod llawer o’r cynigion wedi dod gan fusnesau a ddechreuodd fasnachu yn y flwyddyn neu ddwy ddiwethaf, sef cwmnïau a ddechreuodd yng nghanol y cyfnod mwyaf heriol mewn hanes economaidd a chymdeithasol. Ac maen nhw'n ffynnu.

“Nid yw’n hawdd gwneud yr hyn y mae’r cynhyrchwyr hyn yn ei wneud, nac i’r busnesau newydd na’r busnesau sefydledig. Mae gan dyfu busnes a brand yn y diwydiant bwyd gymaint o newidynnau i’w hystyried o safonau, i bolisïau, dysgu gwerthu a marchnata’ch cynhyrchion, a hynny cyn i chi feddwl am anelu at ragoriaeth o ran blas a blas eich cynhyrchion. Mae gen i edmygedd llwyr tuag atyn nhw i gyd.”

Mae’r tri sydd wedi’u henwebu ar gyfer y teitl rhanbarthol ‘Golden Fork from Wales’ yn cynnwys Mario’s Luxury Dairy Ice Cream ar gyfer eu Hufen Iâ Espresso Martini; Tasty Bites @ Ionas Kitchen ar gyfer eu Patti Gafr â blas cyrri a Bay Coffee Roasters ar gyfer eu Sumatran Indonesiaidd Masnach Deg Organig. Bydd yr enillydd yn cael ei gyhoeddi ar ddydd Llun 5 Medi 2022.

Mae rhestr lawn o enillwyr eleni a ble i’w prynu ar gael yn www.greattasteawards.co.uk