FOUR Andover businesses have been named among the top food and drink producers globally.
Petty Wood and Co, Cambrook Foods, Twinings and Kimptown Apple Press have all been awarded Great Taste awards for their products.
The awards, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, involved 13,672 products put through the competition’s rigorous blind judging process.
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The Kimpton Apple Press has picked up a one-star Great Taste award for its Churchwarden’s Apple Liqueur.
The drink features 'aromas of caramel and oak' and is made with a secret recipe of apples from Hampshire, Wiltshire and Dorset.
Virginia Clarke, manager and owner of The Kimpton Apple, said: “We are so thrilled to have won a Great Taste award for our Churchwarden’s, as it’s a real family recipe and is ever popular with our customers.
"We are so proud to be adding the prestigious black and gold Great Taste badge of honour to our bottle. Each year locals help out with the press, our smallholding, and all of our friends and family have worked on getting the product ‘just so’ too, so to be where we are today is truly a dream come true.”
Henry Clarke, Virginia’s husband and the Kimpton Churchwarden, after whom the drink is named, added: “Being recognised with a Great Taste one-star means so much to independent producers such as myself, as it makes all the hard work and determination worth it!
"Great Taste is the most recognised accolade for taste and quality in the food and drink industry, so it’s a huge moment for us.”
Nut brand, Cambrook Foods, has received two stars for its dry roasted peanuts, caramelised mixed nuts and salted caramel chocolate hazelnuts.
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The business was founded in 2012 by Angus Cameron and Michael Brooks, pulling from their 25 years of experience in the industry.
Deborah Bradfield, sales and marketing manager at the company, said: "We are delighted to have won a host of Great Taste Award – this brings our total to 28 stars in the last three years alone!
"It’s wonderful to have our artisanal nuts recognised in such a wonderful way, Great Taste is about supporting and promoting food and drink producers and we are delighted to be part of that.
"Let’s just say we will be celebrating this week!”
Food distribution company, Petty Wood and Co, were awarded two stars for products including peach halves in fruit juice. The company also received one star for its plum halves, stoneless olives and grilled oyster mushrooms.
Andover-based brand Twinings picked up a number of one stars for their 'Superblends' tea range made with green tea, aimed at supporting your immune system and wellbeing.
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