Video special: Ice cream makers win big as food heroes taste glory


The 2014 Taste Awards set out to celebrate the hard work, imagination and business flair of food and drink entrepreneurs, as well as the creative and driven personalities that make these quality products really stand out on shop shelves.
And so it was at the Pavilions of Harrogate at the Great Yorkshire Showground on Wednesay that the winners of the awards, run by The Yorkshire Post and the region’s food group Deliciouslyorkshire in association with Asda, were announced at a black tie event hosted by Radio 2 food journalist Nigel Barden and Shepherds Purse founder Judy Bell.
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Hide AdNominees from across the region gathered to discover who would take the crown across 20 categories celebrating the best individual products, innovative businesses and dedicated food champions that help Yorkshire generate 12.5 per cent of the UK’s food and drink turnover.


It was a particularly special night for Ryeburns of Helmsley. The North Yorkshire farming family turned ice cream makers scooped the top prize to recognise the very finest product put forward for this year’s awards.
It was their mango yoghurt which wooed the judging panel more than any other and it was named the 2014 Taste Awards’ Supreme Product.
Earlier in the night the Otterburn family, who run Ryeburns on their former dairy farm, also found out that the very same product had been named the Best Ice Cream.
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Hide AdHaving pulled out of dairy farming more than 20 years ago they diversified into ice cream in 1988 to add value to their operations. When the then milk quota rules changed and they had to declare milk used in their ice cream as part of their quota, they sold their herd and now source milk for their ice cream from a dairy.
David Otterburn’s parents Richard and Christine set up the ice cream business.
Addressing Awards guests from the stage, production manager David said: “This has been 30 years in the making but I would like to acknowledge one family that’s not here anymore - the Moore family that started off all the ice cream making in the area. Instead of saying this is our business, stay out of it, they actively encouraged us to come into it. This award is dedicated to them.”
PRODUCT CATEGORIES
Best Bakery Product: Fodder, vanilla slice
Best Fresh Produce: Herbs Unlimited, sweet cicely
Best Fresh Meat: Eat Great Meat, pork chop
Best Prepared Meat: Weetons, rare store roasted beef
Best Yorkshire Pork Pie: Voakes Pies, traditional pork pie
Best Fish and Seafood: Staal Smokehouse, kippers
Best Cheese: Shepherds Purse, bluemin white
Best Ice Cream: Ryeburn of Helmsley, mango yoghurt
Best Drink: Birdhouse Tea Company, Yorkshire rose
Best Savoury Condiment: Mercers of Yorkshire, caramelised onion chutney
Best Confectionery: Shepcote, Marzipan christmas puddings
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Hide AdBest Ready to Eat Product: Voakes Pies, pork & black pudding with red onion marmalade pie
Best Sweet Preserve: Savvy Foods, date and sesame spread
TASTE CHAMPION CATEGORIES
Best New Business: Dottie Biscuit
Best Yorkshire Breakfast: Scaife Hall Farm
Best use of local produce on a menu: Eric’s Restaurant
Best Yorkshire Afternoon Tea: Cedarbarn
Local Food Hero: Jeremy & Louise Holmes - Yummy Yorkshire
Best Independent Retailer: Vanessa Delicatessen