Biddenden Vineyards was awarded a 2-star Great Taste award for its Red Love® apple juice at Great Taste 2016, the world’s most coveted blind-tasted food awards.
Britain’s first naturally red apple juice, Red Love®, was described by judges as “a truly exceptional apple juice with a wonderful clarity and a lovely rounded flavour”, “the fruit comes through well and this tastes very pure” and “crisp and fruity, the balance of sweetness and acidity is spot on”.
Julian Barnes, Managing Director of Biddenden, comments: “We are overwhelmed by the kind words the judges have used to describe Red Love® and are delighted to have been awarded a 2-star Great Taste Award 2016.
“The apple juice has been very popular since its release in November 2015 and the limited edition cider is rapidly gaining an excellent reputation.”
Judged by over 500 food critics, chefs, cooks, restaurateurs 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 specialty food producers. As well as a badge of honour, the unmistakable 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.
Made using the juice pressed straight from an apple variety called Red Love®, the special edition apple juice contains no added colourants or sugars. Red Love® is a Swiss variety which has been developed over the past 25 years by Markus Kobelt, founder of plant nursery and fruit growers Lubera. Mr Kobelt has cross-pollinated a range of red-fleshed, sweet and disease resistant apple varieties to create a naturally red skinned, red fleshed apple with a crisp and long lasting taste.
There were 10,000 Great Taste entries this year and of those products, 141 have been awarded a 3-star, 878 received a 2-star and 2,520 were awarded a 1-star accolade. The panel of judges included; TV chef and author, Valentine Warner, MasterChef judge and restaurant critic, Charles Campion, fifth generation baker, Tom Herbert from Hobbs House Bakery, and Great British Bake Off winner, Frances Quinn; food buyers from Harrods, Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason, Harvey Nichols and Waitrose and chefs including, James Golding, chef director of THE PIG Hotels, and Kevin Gratton, chef director of HIX Restaurants.
Biddenden, the oldest continuously owned family run vineyard in England, is located in the Weald of Kent and produces an array of award winning still and sparkling English wines and ciders as well as fruit juices. All of Biddenden’s products are available from the vineyard shop, online at www.biddendenvineyards.com, and from independent retailers, restaurants, pubs and cafés across the South East.
