Piña colada curd, free-range cockerel, wildflower honey and truffle flavour crisps are among dozens of delights made by Staffordshire producers that have been named among the best in the UK by the Great Taste Awards 2026.
The awards – regarded as the ‘food Oscars’ – attracted a record-breaking 15,000 entries from 3,919 companies in 116 countries this year, with 4,286 (28.50%) receiving a 1-star award, 1,596 (10.61%) picking up two stars and 306 (2.03%) being presented with the top 3-star award.
Fourteen of Staffordshire’s awards went to Cottage Delight, based in Leek. Both its stem ginger jam and its gourmet hot dog sauce received two stars, which means the judges felt they were ‘outstanding’.
One-star awards were given to Cottage Delight’s original strawberry whole fruit jam, luxury raspberry jam, rhubarb and stem ginger jam, Piña colada curd, Stingin Scorpion chilli sauce, Mr Trotters x Cottage Delight chilli bacon relish, red pepper and roast garlic salsa, caramelised red onion chutney, classic cheese board chutney, pineapple and jalapeno relish, Indian hot chilli pickle and Katsu curry sauce.
Awards organisers the Guild of Fine Food says its judging process makes Great Taste the most respected food and drink accreditation scheme in the world.
Judging took place over 105 days with over 800 industry experts presented with each product stripped of all branding, packaging and other identifying features, and had to unanimously decide what rating to give it.
In Barton Under Needwood, Packington Free Range picked up seven awards. Its whole shoulder of pork and free-range whole chicken each received two stars, while one star was given to the company’s white free-range eggs, whole loin of pork, whole belly of pork, free-range cockerel and free-range chicken thighs.
Stafford’s The Wright Family Dairy, founded in 2022, won two stars for its Jersey Whole Milk, which is sold direct to the public through self-service vending machines at Canalside Farm and Lower Drayton Farm.
The milk was also crowned Supreme Champion Dairy Product at the International Cheese & Dairy Awards last month.
Just Oil and Just Crisps, ran by Anthony and Rebecca Froggatt from their family farm near Rugeley, won three awards. The firm’s ham and English mustard crisps, truffle flavour crisps and rapeseed oil were all given one star.
Up the road in Abbots Bromley, Freedom Brewery won its first Great Taste awards, picking up one star for its Freedom Premium British Lager and for its Helles lager.
Other winners – all receiving one star – were Leek’s Ornua Foods (Pilgrims Choice Vintage Cheddar), Rugeley’s House of Gelato (Sauvignon Blanc Wine), The Staffordshire Honey Company, based in Burton upon Trent, (Wildflower Honey), Stoke-on-Trent-headquartered Timber Smoke Tea Co. Ltd (Lapsang Souchong) and HEALTEA, also based in Stoke-on-Trent (Digestwell).
John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food, said: “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.
“Our directory of award recipients is a rich source of data, guiding people from all walks of life to make informed decisions about their food and drink choices.
“Great Taste is all about celebrating craftmanship and dedication to well-sourced local ingredients and traditional, often simple production methods which is more important now than ever.”
