The Great Taste Awards are one of the most recognisable stamps of excellence among consumers, retailers, and major food buyers alike. But while it’s the largest and most trusted food accreditation scheme in the UK, buyers overseas might not be as familiar with the award and its significance.
As an international buyer of UK food and drink products, it’s essential to be aware of the different quality assurance schemes in operation.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the Great Taste Awards, what they mean for buyers, and why you should consider importing and stocking products that have been recognised by this prestigious organisation.
What Are The Great Taste Awards?
The Great Taste Awards are an annual accreditation organised by the Guild of Fine Food. First established in 1994, the awards are now the largest and most trusted accreditation scheme for fine food and drink products in the UK.
Over 500 experts, including selected chefs, cooks, buyers, retailers, restaurateurs, food critics, and writers, fastidiously blind taste test products entered into the awards. To date, more than 150,000 products have been put through this robust judging process.
After rigorous testing, products are awarded either a one, two, or three-star accreditation, with three stars being the highest possible rating. To receive even one star is an incredible achievement, as this denotes that the product is considered to be outstanding and promises exceptional flavour.
Around 25% of all entries receive one-star accreditation, less than 10% receive two stars, and less than 2% receive the highly coveted three-star award.
What Do The Great Taste Awards Mean for International Buyers?
As someone sourcing excellent UK food and drink products, the Great Taste Awards are a valuable indication of quality. When searching for new products to import, always lookout for products that have been recognised by the Great Taste Awards as this is a strong indication that they offer exceptional flavour and will be well-received by your customers, no matter where you are in the world.
In addition to being a sign of excellent quality, the Great Taste Awards can also be used as a powerful marketing tool. Because the accreditation is so well-respected, winning products often display their Great Taste Awards logo on packaging and in advertising to help increase sales.
As someone looking to export food products from the UK to their home nation, you can also use the Great Taste Awards to help promote the products you’ve sourced to your own customers. After all, who wouldn’t want to stock products that have been recognised as being among the best-tasting in the UK?
PartnerWith Mak Zone Export Today To Gain Access to Great Taste Award-Winning Products
At Mak Zone Export, we partner with leading British producers, many of whom have been recognised with the Great Taste Awards stamp of excellence. Brands such as Little Moons, Cooks & Co, Matthews Cotswolds Flour, Biona Organic, and Brindisa have all received one or more Great Taste Awards, and we’re proud to offer their products to our international clients.
If you’re ready to start stocking award-winning British food and drink products in your domestic markets, we can help. We offer a range of UK food and drink export services designed to make sourcing these products as hassle-free as possible.
Get in touch with our team today to learn more about the products we have available or to discuss your specific import/export requirements.
