Guild of Fine Food announces Great Taste 2026 winners
The Guild of Fine Food has announced the results of Great Taste 2026, its annual food and drink accreditation scheme, with Dutch producers featuring prominently among this year’s award winners.
Among the 58 award-winning products from the Netherlands, judges assigned 49 1-star awards and 9 2-star awards, including Pure Ghee from Gheemazing, Pumpkin Spice from Suboro, and Hollandse Stroopwafel Liqueur from Golden Acre Foods.
Record entry numbers across 116 countries
This year’s scheme attracted over 15,000 products from 3,919 companies across 116 countries, a record figure that included entries from nine countries for the first time: Armenia, Bermuda, Bolivia, Burundi, Ethiopia, Grenada, Libya, Mozambique and Sierra Leone.
Of all entries submitted, 4,286 products (28.50%) received a 1-star award, denoting them “simply delicious”, while 1,596 (10.61%) received a 2-star award for being “outstanding”. A further 306 products (2.03%) achieved the 3-star “exquisite and extraordinary” rating.
Judging process and consumer recognition
Over 105 days, more than 800 industry experts, including chefs, critics, product developers, retailers and writers, took part in the judging process across rooms in London, Dorset, Ireland and Italy. Products are presented to judges without branding or packaging, and each panel must reach unanimous agreement on the rating awarded. Taste is assessed first, followed by appearance, aroma, texture and mouthfeel, with each entry judged independently rather than against competitors in its class.
Research from YouGov, conducted in December 2025, found that the Great Taste logo is recognised by 58% of UK adults. Of those, 74% said the award makes a product more tempting to buy, 73% considered it a trustworthy recommendation, and 54% use it to discover new products.
Supporting independent producers
John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food, commented: “Food security is becoming an increasingly pressing issue across the globe, so it feels more pertinent now than at any other time in our thirty-year history to be supporting and promoting independent producers and retailers.”
He added that the Guild’s directory of award recipients provides “a rich source of data, guiding people from all walks of life to make informed decisions about their food & drink choices.”
All 306 products awarded 3 stars will now be considered for a Golden Fork nomination, with winners announced alongside the Great Taste 2026 Supreme Champion at Battersea Arts Centre, London, on 15 September.
- The full list of valid award holders and where to purchase them can be found at gff.co.uk/directory.
