Blackthorn Salt and Seabuckthorn win big for Scotland at Great Taste’s Golden Forks 2024

The winners of the Great Taste Golden Forks 2024 have been announced. At a glittering awards ceremony that took place in London’s Battersea Arts Centre last night, Tuesday 10^th September, the very best of the food and drink world celebrated at the grand finale of the Guild of Fine Food’s Great Taste awards scheme.

The Golden Fork from Scotland was hotly contested with Scottish Sea Salt Flakes from Blackthorn Salt, Lussa Gin from Lussa Drinks Company and The Wee Comrie from Strathearn Cheese Company all making it through to the final round, with the trophy awarded to Blackthorn Salt for their sea salt.

The judges said this salt was “Amazing, very flavoursome and yet delicate, with the intensity of the sea, it melted on the tongue and was absolutely delicious. The shape of the flakes was sensuous, as food should be and there was an interesting mouth feel with a great crunch to it”.

There were 16 Great Taste Golden Forks presented at this year’s awards, with two new trophies for Sustainability and Better Business joining the line up. Scotland saw another win with the Golden Fork for Sustainability going to Seabuckthorn Scotland CIC.

The additional awards were added this year to recognise the substantial efforts of many companies, and importance we should all place, on businesses not only making delicious products, but also conducting themselves in ways that ensure they also look after their communities, teams, environment and supply chain.

The 16 Golden Fork winners were the standout products from nearly 14,000 to enter this year’s Great Taste awards.

John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food comments: “It is important to understand that Great Taste is merely the process that identifies 1-, 2- and 3-star winners and, in doing so, encourages makers to improve. Now at its climax, in announcing the Golden Forks we are celebrating the very best producers; those who take care to ensure their products hit the markers of trusted raw ingredients, simple production methods, and food & drink that has personality, but ultimately, that tastes great.

“We’re particularly chuffed to be doing our thing for international trade and relations by welcoming entries from 115 countries this year and, in addition, bestowing two new awards, one to a company that demonstrates inspiring business acumen, and the other to an organisation showing genuine commitment to sustainability.  These winners must at the same time, be making outstanding food & drink.”

What is Great Taste?

Great Taste is recognised across the globe as a stamp of excellence. Sought out by both food lovers and retailers, it is the world’s most trusted food & drink accreditation scheme and values taste above all else. Each year a panel of 500 industry experts meticulously judge a maximum of 14,000 products over 90 days to unveil the tastiest food from across the globe. All products are anonymised before entering a robust, layered blind-judging process. 2024 saw 13,672 products entered from 115 countries. A total of 3,938 (28.8%) of entrants won 1-star, 1,386 (10.1%) won 2-star and 266 (1.9%) won 3-star awards.