Recognition for natural and organic at Great Taste Awards
Credit: Guild of Fine Food (2023 winners)
A round-up of natural, organic and plant-based brands which scooped stars at the prestigious Guild of Fine Food’s Great Taste Awards 2024.
Kourellas
The rich flavour of Kourellas Organic Feta has won it three stars at the Great Taste Awards 2024.
This authentic cheese comes from Greece’s first organic dairy, and is made by the Kourellas family which has been in operation since 1960. “We are proud to be pioneers of honest, healthy food that’s good for the environment and good for you.”
Manuka Doctor
Manuka Doctor is celebrating ‘sweet success’ after four of its products picked up stars.
Judges mentioned the honey’s ‘incredible balance of savoury, sweet and medicinal’, calling it ‘'liquid gold’.
Better Nature
Celebrating the win on LinkedIn, co-founder and co-CEO Elin Roberts said the award means Better Nature’s Smoky Tempeh is ‘getting the star treatment it deserves’.
Judges liked its smoky flavour, nuttiness and texture.
Biona Organic
Winning three stars, Biona Organic said it was ‘over the moon’ as it announced the result for its Raw Virgin Coconut Oil.
Judges loved the ‘beautifully smooth’ mouthfeel and the 100% pure, natural recipe.
Rubies in the Rubble
The judges awarded Rubies in the Rubble three stars for its food waste-fighting squeezy ‘Ketchup but Gooder’ SKU.
Sweetened with surplus and wonky pears, the condiment contains half the refined sugar of other leading brands, and is housed in 100% post-consumer recycled plastic.
Pop Cornaa
Emily Tse, founder of Isle of Man-based craft confectioner Pop Cornaa, expressed her pride after receiving stars for four variants of small batch, handcrafted gourmet popcorn.
Seaweed, Wasabi & Soy got three stars; Caramel took two stars, while its vegan version was awarded one; and Chocolate Orange was also crowned with one star.
Willy’s ACV
Willy's ACV secured three stars for its Organic Live Turmeric & Eureka Lemon Apple Cider Vinegar with Live Mother, produced raw, unfiltered and unblended from 300-year-old orchards.
Spoon x Manilife
Special edition Peanut Butter Granola, a protein- and fibre-rich collaboration between Spoon and Manilife, was recognized with a star.
Judges noted ‘distinct, rich and definite peanut aromas’ and commended its ‘home-made feel’ and quality of ingredients.
Mr Organic
With five products awarded stars, Mr Organic is celebrating success for its Sicilian Lemon Juice, Butter Beans, Olive Grissini Breadsticks, Rosemary Flatbreads and Baked Beans — the only baked beans ever to have been commended by the Great Taste Awards.
“These are good looking, quality beans in a rich sauce,” commented one judge. “The beans are a good small size with sound bite. The sauce is sweet and the tomato shines through with pleasant acidity.”
Chilli Chan’s
Chilli Chan’s knife-cut sun-dried noodles caught the judges eyes, winning the range its first one-star rating for Sesame & Soy Noodles and Vegan XO Sauce Noodles.
Founder Eyan Chan says the recognition validates his ‘dedication to crafting delicious, healthy instant noodles’.
Czech Ghee
Receiving three stars for its Organic Ghee, Czech Ghee is a family-based company which produces using unique processes and ‘carefully selected’ high quality butter sources’.
Oliveology
Oliveology’s 22oC Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil earned it two stars.
The first olive oil of the season, this organic product comes from small, green, unripe olives which give warm, fruity and peppery notes.
Soak’d Oats
The Apple & Raisin Gut Friendly Oat Bars from vegan healthy snacking brand Soak’d Oats walked away with one star — the first of what co-founder Mark Haynes hopes will be many gold awards for the range.
Doraz
Three stars went to Slovakian coffee roaster Doraz for its Rwanda Kamonyi Women Coffee Organic in pressed Muscat — a 100% Arabica light roast produced by small-scale farmers.
THIS
For plant-based THIS Isn’t Lamb Kebabs, three stars were awarded for the vegan kebab recipe, made of pea protein and seasoned with cumin and mint.