Businesses in Huntingdonshire have spoken of their success at this year's Great Taste Awards.
Nine food and drink products from across Huntingdonshire featured in the awards, which all earned between one and two stars.
Dubbed the 'Oscars of the food and drink world', close to 3,500 companies entered Great Taste this year, offering 13,672 products for review between them.
A St Neots company won two stars for its products, while four products received one star as part of the coveted accolade.
Entries were analysed across 92 judging days, each receiving detailed feedback, whether or not they obtained an award.
Blind-tasted by expert judges, three stars are given to ‘extraordinarily tasty food and drink’, two stars to products that are ‘above and beyond delicious’ and one star for ‘food and drink that delivers fantastic flavour’.
We hear from local businesses who received a star on what it means to be recognised at this year's awards.
'A relief to be recognised' - Matchaeco
For Olly Evans, founder of the Matcha Green Tea Powder brand Matchaeco, recognition at this year's Great Taste Awards was a 'significant achievement'.
The product was awarded one star by judges, who described it as a "vibrant green with a fruity flavour" with a "smooth feel which leaves creaminess in the mouth."
Olly founded Hartford-based Matchaeco in 2022 after becoming hooked on the flavour of Matcha, a finely powdered green tea.
In addition to the taste, he also began to notice a number of improvements in his energy levels and productivity, so much so that he no longer required his morning cup of coffee.
He told The Hunts Post: "This was our first time entering the awards, and it certainly won't be the last time in.
"All-round the feedback on our product was really good, and it was validating to have others telling us a little more about the flavours we aim to achieve when growing.
"I was nervous when the results were announced because I didn't know what to expect but when we found out we'd been awarded a star, it was a huge relief to be recognised."
In 2023, after struggling to find high-quality Matcha at a fair price, Olly teamed up with farms in Japan to import and sell his very own product.
Matchaeco aims to bring Matcha green tea to the masses at an affordable price which also encouraging a healthy lifestyle.
It is this vision that Olly explains has contributed to an uptake in this business' customer base.
He added: "When we started the business it was a big risk, because we'd never done anything like this before, but almost straight away we began to see an uptake in our customer base.
"We're still a very fresh brand trying to penetrate the market, but the interest in our product is already there."
Already, Olly is planning on developing new flavour combinations, in addition to accessories to improve the flavour of Matcha.
Matchaeco sells direct to consumer and its products are available to purchase via its website.
'A regular winner' - OliveOlive
The judge's decision to award one star to OliveOlive's Cyprus Village Halloumi Cheese has only solidified its status as what founder Rob Marsden describes as a 'premium cheese'.
Possessing "lovely, gently lactic and creamy flavours" with the "requisite amount of bounce and squeak", OliveOlive's signature halloumi is among a number of products entered for consideration in previous years.
Rob founded OliveOlive 14 years ago to sell the olive oil that his wife Pam's family produced in Cyprus.
However, the pair soon began selling their popular halloumi after friends noted exceptional quality of the Greek product.
Rob said: "It came to the point that I decided to quit the day job and started selling the olive oil full time while my wife worked another job.
"From the olive oil we moved to the halloumi cheese and we now sell them alongside each other in addition to some Greek seasoning blends which were launched last month.
"Our products are not overly expensive, but in the case of the halloumi, the price reflects the quality and is targeted towards those who are happy to pay a little but extra for really good quality food."
OliveOlive is stocked in Franks Farm Shop in Elsworth and used to supply local restaurants with its products.
Now the company focusses on distribution straight to the consumer through its website.
Rob added: "All the time at events we're hearing just how much customers love our product. When they try it, they're blown away.
"With the halloumi, they say they've never tasted anything like it and that's because it's completely different to the English halloumi they're used to."
'Always delivering on taste' - Glebe Farm Foods
It was another successful year for Glebe Farm Foods whose selection of barista oat drinks and granola were awarded one star by judges.
Jane McGown, who joined the company as trade marketing manager last month, said: "We've won awards in the past and we wanted to show that our products are continuing to hit the spot on taste and quality.
"We knew that the products were great and the Great Taste Awards are such a good way to raise our profile and hopefully enable us to get into more shops, especially local ones.
"We're never complacent because food and drink is such a competitive industry and we're always aiming to deliver on the taste quality."
Based in Kings Ripton, Glebe Farm Foods is led by brother and sister team, Phillip and Rebecca Rayner.
It's the only farm in the UK growing and processing gluten free oats into oat flakes, flours and an award winning taste oat drink range, PureOaty.
More information about PureOaty can be found on Glebe Farm Foods' website.
'We love our coffee' - Bohemia Roasts
Awarded two stars for its 100% Arabica blend, judges were impressed with local coffee roastery Bohemia Roasts.
Priding itself on producing sustainably sourced, hand roasted artisan coffee, Bohemia Roasts boasts the title of St Neots' first micro-coffee roastery, which specialises in everything from the green bean right through to the cup.
Director of Bohemia Roasts James Larman said: "We entered the awards a couple of years ago but didn't receive any stars, so to be awarded this year is a great barometer of where we're at in terms of our brand and the quality of products.
"We've recently adapted our coffee blend and our processes so we really wanted to give it another go to see where we were at because we feel we have a really good coffee but we wanted to see what a wider audience thought.
"To receive two stars is fantastic and a real confirmation of our belief in our product."
Bohemia Roasts was founded in 2019 with a desire to test and experiment a range of coffee blends and flavours, and sells direct to consumer via its website and its premises.
As well as its Bohemia Roast product, the roastery offers six single origin coffees, all of which are available for free local delivery within five miles every Wednesday.
With customers located across the UK, the roastery produces white label coffee enabling other businesses to affix their own label.
James added: "The feedback we've received has been very positive. Of the four coffees we submitted overall, the Bohemia Roast was the standout.
"The coffee was described as well-balanced and smooth, that could really hold its own. It's always nice to hear to hear people talk positively about the product you put a lot of love and passion into."
Bohemia Roast is available to purchase via the roastery's website.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here