THE Yorkshire Smokehouse at Mackenzies, in Blubberhouses, has been named among the top food and drink producers globally after picking up three awards plus a highly prized 2-star Great Taste award this month.

More than 14,000 products were put through the competition’s rigorous blind judging process and The Yorkshire Smokehouse at Mackenzies managed to bag four winners including a Great Taste 2 Star for its hand-cut cured & delicately smoked Yakitori salmon.

Success was also made for the smokehouse’s hand-cut cured & delicately smoked gin botanical salmon, smoked mackerel and smoked venison.

On the hand-cut cured & delicately smoked Yakitori salmon, judges described it as “a stunning aroma of fresh salmon along with rich sweet smoke. The molasses, soy, citrus lime, and ginger flavours work harmoniously with the fish.”

Recognised as a stamp of excellence and actively sought out by food lovers and retailers alike, Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, values taste above all else. All products in the line-up for judging are blind-tasted: every product is removed from its packaging so it cannot be identified, before entering a robust, layered judging process.

This year, the judging took place over 90 days across two judging locations (Dorset and London) with a panel of more than 500 judges. This year’s line-up saw food and drink products submitted from a staggering 110 different countries from across the world.

Paul Palmer, owner of The Yorkshire Smokehouse at Mackenzies said: “We are delighted to have won a Great Taste award for four of our products. It’s a great feeling and I am so proud to be adding the iconic black and gold Great Taste logo to our products.

“This is the second time our products have been recognised for their quality. Our smoked mackerel and smoked venison won Deliciously Yorkshire Taste Awards last year so are now double award winners. We’re really pleased.

“Being recognised with a Great Taste award means so much to independent producers such as us as it makes all the hard work and determination worth it.” Manufacturing director Andrew Butler concluded: “Great Taste is the most recognised accolade for taste and quality in the food and drink world, so it really is a big win.”

As well as Great Taste, the Guild of Fine Food is known for publishing the industry-leading magazine, Fine Food Digest, running the annual Fine Food Show North in Harrogate and the global phenomenon, that is the World Cheese Awards. Plus, further events including award ceremonies and Great Taste markets, training sessions and initiatives.

All four winning products are available from the Mackenzies Farm Shop.