A DALES eatery is celebrating a double-win in a worldwide competition which focuses on finding unbeatable tastes.

The Kilnsey Park Estate is among the 2015 stars of the Great Taste awards, a blind-taste competition and one of the most coveted prizes in the industry.

They won the gold three stars for their smoked duck breast and also gained a gold award for their cold smoked trout.

The win comes as Kilnsey Park Estate boss, Jamie Roberts, is planning to launch a new smokery, Holysmoke - it will open in October - named in memory of the monks of Fountains Abbey who had a fish farm at Kilnsey 800 years ago.

The new smoked duck will be on the menu along with other smoked products including local chicken, cheese and sausage as well as the signature smoked trout.

Out of 10,000 Great Taste entries this year, only 130 - one per cent - have been awarded the three star award..

It means the Kilnsey Park Estate smoked products will now be able to carry the gold and black Great Taste logo.

The Yorkshire Dales family-run business was against some tough competition - there were over 10,000 entries - which were judged by more than 400 of the most demanding food critics, chefs, cooks, restaurateurs, producers and a host of food writers and journalists.

Jamie Roberts, managing partner at Kilnsey Park Estate, is delighted.

He said: "We are ecstatic at winning this award, just as we're about to announce our plans to expand our range of smoked products.

"Many visitors come to Kilnsey Park to enjoy nature and fishing in our lakes, followed by a meal or snack in the restaurant - including fresh produce from our smokehouse.

"We're now planning to increase our range of smoked products and make them available to a wider audience. They're all smoked here at Kilnsey, using traditional techniques and recipes that date back hundreds of years".

The judges said: "The Kilnsey Park Estate smoked duck breast is moist and gives a very delicate smoke in the mouth. We found this to be a soft and gentle delight worthy of an award.

"Flavours come through in waves almost dancing with each other. The cold smoked trout has an attractive glazed appearance, a delicate flavour and is lightly smoked."

The panel of judges included Masterchef judge and restaurant critic Charles Campion, TV presenter and cook Aggie Mackenzie, Great British Bake Off winner Frances Quinn, Masterchef the Professionals finalist Adam Handling, food buyers from Harrods, Selfridges, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer, and chefs.