The annual Great Taste Awards run by the Guild of Fine Foods is the pinnacle of food awards, often known as the foodie “Oscars” and attracts 10,000 entries annually from around the world. Only one third of entries will receive one of the coveted 1, 2 or 3 star awards. 141 of the 3 star awards were made this year and 878 foods were awarded 2 stars.
Jam Packed Preserves have received a 2 star award for our grapefruit marmalade, one of only 12 entries in this category to do so with no 3 star awards made this year. This means that our marmalade is one of the top 12 marmalades in the world tasted this year and in the top 10.2% of all the foods entered.
The awards are judged by over 500 of the most demanding palates, belonging to food critics, chefs, cooks, restaurateurs and producers as well as a whole host of food writers and journalists. The panel of judges included; TV chef and author, Valentine Warner, MasterChef judge and restaurant critic, Charles Campion, fifth generation baker, Tom Herbert from Hobbs House Bakery, and Great British Bake Off winner, Frances Quinn; food buyers from Harrods, Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason, Harvey Nichols and Waitrose and chefs including, James Golding, chef director of THE PIG Hotels, and Kevin Gratton, chef director of HIX Restaurants.
We were absolutely thrilled with the award, but even more so with the judges feedback. One table of judges commented:
“A great colour to this marmalade with its hearty chunks of peel. We really enjoyed this breakfast delight with its wake up call of grapefruit zing. Bring on the toast!” Other comments included:“There’s a delicate, appealing aroma to this beautifully shaded marmalade, leading to some lovely bright flavours. The peel is thin and delicate with good texture. Some found it a touch too sweet but others felt the bitterness and zestiness of the peel and of the jelly carried the sweetness well. Clearly we have room to improve to achieve the most coveted 3 star award and the helpful feedback has given us pointers on how to develop this product, but don’t take their word for it – why not try this marmalade for yourself. We would love to have the feedback from you, our customers, as well!
