Great Glen Game Wins Two Stars at Great Taste Awards

An artisan charcuterie producer from Roy Bridge is celebrating after winning a prestigious 2011 Great Taste Award.

Great Glen Game has been presented with a coveted two-star Gold Great Taste Award for its Chilli Venison Chorizo.

Established in 2003 by Jan Jacob Baak, Great Glen Game is based in the Highlands. Jan started producing smoked venison made with prime cuts of local wild venison and over the years has developed new, innovative products such as Chorizo, Pepperoni, Salami and a Bresaola, all made with sustainably-sourced local wild venison.

Great Glen's products are sold in delicatessens across the UK including Fortnum & Mason and The House of Bruar.

With its lean meat, low cholesterol and low calories, the wild venison products are proving very popular with customers and chefs, and fit into a healthy lifestyle.

Jan Jacob Baak said: "We are absolutely thrilled to receive this award and to be among the country's most highly rated food producers.

"Winning our Gold Star ratings is really important to us, as it shows our products are of the very best they can be and have been recognised as such by the very discerning judges.

"I hope this will encourage even more people to try our Wild Venison Charcuterie and taste the quality for themselves."

The Great Taste Awards, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, are now in their 18th year and going from strength to strength.

Some 7481 products were entered from 1600 companies for the 2011 Great Taste Awards, taking 350 experts 34 days to blind taste all the entries and decide which entries would achieve the coveted one, two and three star Gold awards.

The Great Taste Awards judging standards, devised by the Guild of Fine Food, are the most rigorous in the UK. To achieve the three-star rating a minimum of 20 - more often 30 - judges need to be in complete agreement that the food delivered that indefinable "wow" factor.

Bob Farrand, chairman of The Great Taste Awards, said: "Winning Gold in the country’s largest and most respected independent food accreditation scheme is a massive pat on the back for any producer - independent proof their products are of the highest quality.

"We provide constructive feedback from our expert judging teams and for many, winning a one, two or three-star Gold is exactly what’s needed to help grow their businesses, even during a recession. Every winner should feel very proud that their hard work has been rewarded."

The full list of winners in the 2011 Great Taste Awards.

More fine food and artisan news from Scotland.