The maximum three stars were awarded to Fajszi Paprika spicy paprika seed oil, the Szicsek Irsai Olivér grape brandy, the Ruby Paprika smoked paprika product at the Great Taste Awards in the UK.
Among the Hungarian manufacturers Szicsek Distillery was a hit in the competition. Along with their three-star brandy, won two stars the premium jonathan apple brandy and red wilms pear brandy, one star received the distillery its green walnut liqueur, as well as its three-year-aged apple and pear brandy and its honey peach brandy.
Among domestic foods, it is a classy one, has been awarded a two-star rating a Fajszi Paprika premium delicacy chowder with paprika and spicy paprika, a pand a star for its premium delicacy smoked paprika, while the Rubin Paprika organic Szeged spicy paprika also with one star were rewarded.
This year, 14,000 products were entered in one of the world's biggest gastronomic competitions. A panel of 355 experts, including chefs, distributors, restaurant owners, food critics and writers, awarded the top rating to 2% of the entries.
Just for comparison, starters in Ireland, a country of nearly five million, scored 21 three-star ratings in the same competition. While the Hungarians stood out with peppers and pálinka, the Irish made a name for themselves with coffee, an area that has flourished since the start of the COVID epidemic. In the seafood sector, three Irish oyster producers took top honours, but there was also a prestigious award for a smoked salmon company and prizes for fine Irish cheese, beef, apples and jam.
According to experts, shoppers usually spend 3-5 seconds in front of a cluttered shelf in a store. That's how little time it takes for the producer to persuade the consumer to put the food in their basket. It is believed that only 20% of the decision is determined by the quality of the product, the other 80% by the brand.
Branding and marketing is the main way to get people to buy something for the first time, and if it works, they will choose it again.
The Great Taste Awards is an exception to this, as the products are judged solely on taste. There is no fancy packaging, no eye-catching branding to influence the decision, only taste, texture and smell compete.
The organisers of the competition stress that in this case too „the important thing is not to win, but to participate” principle, as the judging is always done by the best professionals in the industry, whose feedback can be invaluable for a business going forward.
The 2021 winners full list of can be found on the competition website. More details on the Guild of Fine Food website.
Great Taste Awards was launched twenty-five years ago by the Guild of Fine Food.
Source: MTI
