SUPERSTAR FODDER TAKES TOP FOOD AWARD
Fodder, the regional food shop and café on the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate has won one of the most prestigious national awards in the industry. Judges chose the already award-winning enterprise as the Great Taste - Shop of the Year 2014 - from a total entry figure of 3,000 shops, throughout the UK. The award is organised by The Guild of Fine Food and recognises excellence in food retailing. The announcement came at a glittering ceremony in London, on Monday 8th September.
John Farrand, MD of The Guild of Fine Food commented: “Fodder had glowing comments from our judges who described the store as ‘food retailing at its best’ – they were impressed by the layout of the store, the signage and especially the merchandising of products explaining the provenance of the hundreds of local and regional food and drink products on sale. But as we all know, a shop is nothing without a great team and Fodder also has a brilliant team of people who are friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable; they have created an atmosphere where children are welcome and our judge could see that this was a place where families come to shop regularly.”
“Fodder has a deli, butchers and café and its products are drawn from the surrounding Yorkshire area – with more than 310 small producers and farmers supplying the shop. There are five butchers, five chefs serving a comprehensive menu of locally inspired food, as well as the deli and shop team.”
Heather Parry, Managing Director of Fodder and Deputy Chief Executive of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society is thrilled to have won a prestigious ‘Golden Fork’ trophy. The Society runs Fodder as part of its commitment to supporting agriculture and farmers in the north of England; whilst encouraging consumers to buy more local food.
She commented: “This is the ultimate accolade and to say we are over the moon is an understatement. It is wonderful to receive such recognition from our peers and is a terrific endorsement of the quality of our producers, the expertise and the dedication of our team of staff”.
Fodder is no stranger to awards, most recently taking a Visit England Gold in the Taste of England category. It opened five years ago and champions the use of regional food, and particularly, regional suppliers. The latest products due to be launched this month are a range of ready meals in four delicious flavours, two of which were also recipients of gold stars at the Great Taste Awards. Fodder is unique in that all profits are ploughed back into the Yorkshire Agricultural Society for its charitable work in the industry.
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Media contact: Heather Parry, 01423 546203 or email heatherp@yas.co.uk
EDITORS INFORMATION
The Great Taste Shop of the Year award is sponsored by Scarlett & Mustard.
What is Great Taste?
Great Taste is all about taste. It is not about packaging or smart design. Judges are simply presented with food or drink to taste and they provide valuable feedback to thousands of producers each year. For a producer to win a Great Taste 1-star award is a great achievement, to win 2-stars means that many judges have been bowled over by the product, and to win a 3-star Great Taste award is comparable to a chef winning a Michelin star. It simply is seen in the world of fine food as a hallmark of taste, quality and excellence.
Great Taste, founded in 1994 and organised by The Guild of Fine Food, has judged over 90,000 products in the last 20 years; each one has been blind-tasted by a team of judges who are dedicated to finding the most exquisite tasting food and drink. Judges include top restaurateurs, chefs, food critics, fine food retailers, buyers, food writers and the winners of competitions including Young Chef of the Year, Masterchef and Great British Bake Off.
Great Taste 2014 facts
10,000 different products enteredOver 400 professional judges who search for the “wow” foodsWeeks of judging in Ireland, Hampshire, Devon and Dorset3,381 products awarded 1-,2-, 3-star awards 153 products presented with the top 3-Star Great Taste 2014 List of Top 50 Foods from Britain NINE Golden Fork Awards for Best Regional Speciality ONE Supreme Champion
What do Great Taste judges look for?
They look for great texture and appearance. They judge the quality of ingredients and how well the maker has put the food or drink together. But above all, they look for truly great taste. Working in small teams, experts taste 25 foods in each sitting, discussing each product as a coordinating food writer transcribes their comments directly onto the Great Taste website which producers access after judging is completed. Over the years, numerous food businesses, start-ups and well established producers have been advised how to modify their foods and have subsequently gone on to achieve star status. Any food that a judging team believes is worthy of a star is judged by at least two further teams. Only when there is a consensus will a star be awarded. For 3-star Gold, every single judge attending the session, which can be as many as 40 experts must unanimously agree the food delivers that indescribable ‘wow’ factor.
Fodder is at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate HG2 8NZ, telephone 01423 546111 and at www.fodder.co.uk
All profits from Fodder go to fund the work of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, the charity at the heart of the county’s rural life. In addition to staging the Great Yorkshire Show, the society has an extensive educational programme to help children understand where their food comes from and promotes countryside careers.
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