Recipes for success – Pembrokeshire’s 2021 Great Taste Award winners

Here in Pembrokeshire we’re very proud of our food and produce, so we eagerly await the results of the Great Taste Awards every year.

This year, Pembrokeshire had 23 winners of the prestigious award, which we felt deserved a special mention. Why not incorporate them into your trip, and make it your mission to taste as many of these products as you can?

Perfect treats or gifts…

Sometimes food is just so good we want to devour it all by ourselves! But then again, maybe we want to share the love by giving someone else a special treat…

On this occasion, we can’t help but share the fact that this year’s winning products make the most delicious treats and gifts for you and your loved ones to enjoy a little taste of Pembrokeshire.

Our favourite is from Pembrokeshire Gin Co, a Tenby-based, multi-award-winning craft distillery that produces speciality gins from locally sourced Welsh botanicals wherever possible. Two of their flavours have made it onto the Great Taste list this year, and we can’t decide which one we like the best!

Their Rosemary & Citrus Gin is made with four different citrus peels and is a light and easy-drinking gin which is extremely versatile. Pembrokeshire Gin Co’s other winner, the Welsh Cake Gin, was also awarded a Masters Medal at the 2020 Gin Masters and a Silver medal in the same competition, so the results speak for themselves really… A truly unique flavour of Wales, have you ever had warming spices of cinnamon and ginger alongside fruity notes of currants in a gin before?

No, neither had we… But it works!

Check out their website for pairing suggestions, and some creative cocktail ideas they’ve come up with which work perfectly with each individual gin flavour.

Sticking with alcohol for the time being, another product that made the list was Still Wild’s Sweet Vermouth. Cold distilled to retain the natural flavours and more fragile aromas of the delicate botanicals they use, the ingredients are foraged from all around our county.

For those of you with a sweet tooth, or looking for a perfect box of something to give loved ones – perhaps you are even getting organised for Christmas already (good on you!) – Wickedly Welsh Chocolate does a fabulous Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt bar that’s been awarded 2 stars, or you could try the delicious Rasberry Ripple Gourmet Mallows from Marshmarloes.

Two Pembrokeshire fudge producers were winners this year – The Fudge Foundry won 2 stars for their Lemon Meringue Fudge, as well as picking up 1 star for the Sea Salted Caramel Fudge, while Flavours of Fields Lodge also picked up a star for their classic fudge.

If you want to bring the ocean home with you after your visit, or send a sample of our beautiful salty sea to a loved one, how about Pembrokeshire Sea Salt Co’s Natural Sea Salt, or their twist on the classic salt and pepper combo, the Sea Salt with Sichuan Pepper.

To enjoy while you’re here…

Treat yourself to a luxury breakfast using The Smoke Shed’s traditionally handmade Smoked Salmon, and grab milk for breakfast, delivered to your holiday cottage’s door from Carningli Dairy. You don’t even have to worry about making coffee, because Daioni Organic has done it for you, with their Caffe Latte and Skinny Latte which both also won a star.

Whilst out and about for the day, pop into Lochmeyler Farm Ice-Cream’s shop in Haverfordwest Riverside Market. Their award-winning Salted Caramel Dairy Ice-Cream is to die for, along with the Blackcurrant Sorbet, which is a perfect alternative for non-dairy eaters.

But the star of this year’s show has got to be Pembrokeshire Lamb Ltd’s Hogget Shoulder, which won a whopping three stars in this year’s Great Taste Awards, topping the list of Pembrokeshire winners. They also won with their Lamb Shoulder, Mutton Shoulder, Mutton Mince and Signature Burger, as well as their Brown Sauce and Indian Style Kebab Rub. Now that’s what we call a successful year!

So what are you waiting for? Why not cook up a delicious roast or meaty meal with some of Pembrokeshire Lamb’s award-winning products while you’re here.

We hope this round-up of 2021’s Great Taste Award winners will inspire you to buy some of the products and shop with some of our wonderful local producers. There is some amazing food in Pembrokeshire, and we’re happy to share it with you!