26 September 2007, 15:57 PM

  • The Telegraph Media Group has announced the winners of Taste of Britain 2007, a competition celebrating the very best of British food and drink.
     

The competition, open to food producers from the whole of the UK, has five categories, each with Gold, Silver and Bronze awards. The produce was judged on everything from production standards and sustainability, to creating a positive impact on the local community, and of course taste.
 
The winners were announced in a 16-page special supplement in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, which also coincided with the start of the British Food Fortnight. The awards will be presented at a lunch at Highgrove on 10th October.
 
The categories were Best UK Food, Best UK Drink/Beverage, Best Regional Food, Best Organic Food, and Best Seasonal Food.
 
Laverstoke Park in Hampshire won Gold in Best UK Food with its Organic Hebridean Leg of Lamb, while Yorkshire-based Sloe Motion Ltd won Best UK Drink/Beverage for its Sloe Gin.  
Best Regional Food was awarded to Original Smokies From Arbroath in Angus for its Arbroath Smokies and The Organic Dry Plucked and Hung Duck from Higher Fingle Farm in Exeter picked up the award for Best Organic Food.
 
And finally, the Best Seasonal category was won by Yorkshire Game Ltd for its Young Grouse.
 
Moyra Fraser, columnist for The Daily Telegraph and member of the judging panel, said, “Taste of Britain is a great way to showcase the best of high-quality regional foods produced in this country. It was hard to decide between so many fantastic entries, but I feel the winners this year were all of a very high standard.”
 
Taste of Britain is in its second year and TMG once again teamed up with Sainsbury’s as the commercial partner. Judith Batchelar, director of Sainsbury’s Brand, said, “Sainsbury’s has been proud to sell British produce for more than 130 years, and supporting British farmers and producers is one of our corporate responsibilities. Through the last Taste of Britain we met some extraordinary producers, several of whom now supply Sainsbury’s. I believe the quality and variety of British food and drink is way above anything we have seen in years and there is an outstanding class of winners again this year, all of which makes me feel extremely positive about the future for British producers and British food in general.”

Photo: Steve Smyth