P R E S S R E L E A S E
Pacari Chocolate distributed in the UK by Fair Business Alliance Ltd is among the Great Taste winners of 2016
Great Taste, the world’s most coveted blind-tasted food awards, which celebrates the very best in food and drink, has announced the Great Taste stars of 2016. Out of 10,000 products to be judged, Pacari Chocolate from Ecuador was awarded a 1-star Great Taste award for its Esmeraldas 60% , single origin chocolate bar, with attractive notes to the cacao aroma, some bright flowery cacao notes and persistent fruit on the finish.
Judged by over 500 of the most demanding palates, belonging to 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 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.
This is the first year that Pacari Chocolate participates in this event, thanks to the collaboration and partnership with our new distributor in the UK, Fair Business Alliance. Pacari Chocolate is delighted to have won a Great Taste Award medal for one of their first chocolate bars, Esmeraldas 60% produced with Arriba Nacional cacao beans. Juan Andres, managing director at Fair Business Alliance Limited said “Our thanks and thoughts are with the farmers behind our fantastic cacao especially as many are still having to cope with the damaged caused by the earthquake in Ecuador in April. This will come as welcome news for them and we will be celebrating this medal at the Foodies Festival in Edinburgh this weekend, 5-7th August, if anyone would like to come along and try Esmeraldas 60% and a wide variety of other chocolates with Andean flavours and spices.”
Date: 30th July 2016
For more information visit our website www.pacarichocolates.uk
Email us : sales@pacarichocolates.uk
Great Taste Press Enquiries:
Amy Brice at Freshly Ground PR; email amy@freshlygroundpr.co.uk or call +44 (0) 7717 893123.
Notes for editors:
What is Great Taste?
Great Taste is the largest and most trusted accreditation scheme for fine food and drink. Established in 1994, it encourages and mentors artisan food producers, offering a unique benchmarking and product evaluation service leading to an independent accreditation that enables small food and drink businesses to compete against supermarket premium own label brands.
Since 1994 over 110,000 products have been assessed. This year 10,000 products were blind-tasted by panels of specialists: top chefs, cookery writers, food critics, restaurateurs and fine food retailers.
What are Great Taste judges looking for?
They’re looking for great texture and appearance. They judge the quality of ingredients and how well the maker has put the food or drink together. But above all, they are looking for truly great taste.
How do they work?
Each team of four judges blind-tastes around 25 products per session, discussing each product as a coordinating food writer transcribes their comments directly onto the Great Taste website which producers access after judging is completed. Over the years, numerous food businesses, start-ups and well established producers have been advised how to modify their foods and have subsequently gone on to achieve Great Taste stars. Food or drink that is deemed worthy of Great Taste stars is also tasted by a team of arbitrators, who taste, confer and agree on the final award given. If judges feel that a product needs some adjustment, and therefore not likely to receive an award, the food or drink gets a second chance on a referral table, where another team, blind-tastes and deliberates. For a Great Taste 3-star award, the vast majority in the room - which can be as many as 30-40 experts - must agree that the food or drink delivers that indescribable ‘wow’ factor.
What should consumers look for?
The logo. The Great Taste symbol is their guarantee a product has been through a rigorous and independent judging process. It’s not about smart packaging or clever marketing – it’s all about taste.