Pacari Chocolates UK is among the Great Taste winners of 2019
Great Taste, the world’s most coveted food and drink awards, has announced its stars of 2019. Out of 12,772 products sent in from over 100 different countries, Pacari Chocolates UK was awarded a 1-star Great Taste award, which means judges dubbed it afood that delivers fantastic flavourfor its Organic Drinking Cacao.
Judged by over 500 of the most demanding palates, belonging to food critics, chefs, cooks, restaurateurs, buyers, retailers and producers, as well as a whole host of food writers and journalists, Great Taste is widely acknowledged as the most respected food accreditation scheme for artisan and speciality food producers. As well as a badge of honour, the unmistakeable black and gold Great Taste label is a signpost to a wonderful tasting product, which has been discovered through hours and hours of blind tasting by hundreds of judges.
Juan Andres Santelices, Managing Director of Pacari Chocolates UK explains: It is such an honour to win this Great Taste Award, especially given the huge emphasis placed on the taste and quality of the products by the judges. Pacari is a family-owned Ecuadorian company with a simple mission: to produce the highest quality organic dark chocolate in the world, in the most ethical and sustainable way possible. As with much of our chocolate, this cacao powder is made from the finest Ecuadorian Arriba Nacional cacao beans, which are famous for their subtle yet compelling fruity and floral notes flavours. To date, our chocolate has won over 250 international awards and we feel extremely proud that our Organic Drinking Cacao has been recognised by the Great Taste Awards in this way, a first for this product.”
Recognised as a stamp of excellence among consumers and retailers alike,Great Taste values taste aboveall else, with no regard for branding and packaging. Whether it is vinegar, granola, bacon or cheese being judged, all products are removed from their wrapper, jar, box or bottle before being tasted. The judges then savour, confer and re-taste to decide which products are worthy of a 1-, 2- or 3-star award.
There were 12,772 entries into Great Taste this year and of those products, 208 have been awarded a 3-star, 1,326 received a 2-star and 3,409 were awarded a 1-star accolade. The panel of judges this year included; cook, writer and champion of sustainable food, Melissa Hemsley, Kenny Tutt, MasterChef 2018 champion, author, Olia Hercules, chef and food writer, Gill Meller, Kavi Thakar from Dishoom, food writer and stylist, Georgina Hayden and author and chef, Zoe Adjonyoh, as well as food buyers from Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason, Sourced Market and Partridges. These esteemed palates have together tasted and re-judged the 3-star winners to finally agree on the Golden Fork Trophy winners and the Great Taste 2019 Supreme Champion.
Great Taste 2019 will reach its exciting finale on Sunday 1 September, when the world of fine food gathers at the InterContinental Park Lane Hotel, Londonto find out the Great Taste Golden Fork trophy winners for each region, with the final applause reserved for the Great Taste Supreme Champion 2019.