Great Taste Award winners 2023
The Ramsbury team, with general manager Nik Fordham in the centre (Image: Ramsbury Brewing and Distillery)
A team whose vodka was judged the best in the world is celebrating four awards in a national food quality scheme.
The Ramsbury Brewing and Distillery Company has once again been honoured in the Great Taste Awards, winning accolades for its beer and vodka.
The firm based at the Ramsbury Estate in Wiltshire is one of dozens of county winners in the annual scheme, which accredits quality food and drink.
There are also awards for cheese, chocolate and fudge produced in the area.
The Ramsbury drinks company is still basking in the glow of its Best of Class Vodka award for its Single Estate Vodka at the June San Francisco World Spirits Awards.
Now it has been given two stars – meaning outstanding – for its Belapur IPA beer, and one star (simply delicious) for the vodka, and its Ramsbury Gold and Farmers Best beers.
General manager Nik Fordham said it had been a great year for the operation.
“We’re consistent over awards. We engineer what we do to provide premium quality products, and we’re delighted to see that recognised.”
In Bradford on Avon, chocolate maker Beancraft has been given the top rating of three stars by the organisers, the Guild of Fine Food.
The accolade – meaning exquisite – goes to the firm’s milk chocolate Sierra Nevada Columbia product.
Beancraft has also won two stars for its dark chocolate Lachua Guatemala, and a one-star rating for the oat milk version of Sierra Nevada Columbia.
The company is run by Nicky and Tom Couch from the garage of their home, and was launched just before lockdown after Nicky had caught the chocolatier bug having done some courses.
The couple make their chocolate from beans which are ethically sourced, testing their products on their two teenage sons and friends.
They say the three-star Sierra Nevada Columbia milk chocolate is a ‘family favourite’.
Tom, who still works full-time as an engineer, said:…
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