A butchers, free-range meat producer and preserves maker from Staffordshire have all been crowned winners in the 2026 Great British Food Awards.
Martin Thomas Butchers, based in Pattingham, in South Staffordshire, achieved Gold with its traditional pork pie, also taking Silvers for its dry-salted air-dried smoked back bacon, and dry-salted air-dried back bacon.
Packington Free Range, in Barton under Needwood, won Silver for its free-range white eggs, and Bronzes for its whole lion of pork, free-range whole chicken and free-range cockerel.
Meanwhile, Leek’s Cottage Delight took Silver for its cheese board chutney, and Bronzes for its sweet apple chutney, smoked beetroot chutney and Mr Trotter’s Chilli Bacon Relish.
A spokesperson for Cottage Delight said: “The awards celebrate the quality, flavour and care packed into every Cottage Delight jar. They are an especially exciting achievement for Mr Trotter’s Chilli Bacon Relish – one of the company’s newest products.”
The awards – launched in 2014 – celebrate the very best food and drink producers in the UK, with several rounds of judging to assess all entries thoroughly for quality and taste.
Celebrity judges include Raymond Blanc OBE, Great British Bake Off: The Professionals’ Cherish Finden, First Dates favourite Merlin Griffiths, Mowgli Street Food founder Nisha Katona, and master chocolatier Paul A Young, who runs a studio in Stone.
Head of Awards Jenny O’Neill said: “We had more entries than ever in 2026, and each year the quality keeps soaring, meaning our judges always have a hard task on their hands.
“There were many superb products from Staffordshire, and each and every winner should feel incredibly proud to have made to the finals, as judging criteria is very strict. Well done to all of them.
“I’d encourage everyone to go out and support these delicious businesses, run by people who clearly care about what they do – it shows in the eating and drinking!”
