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Judging criteria for the 2013 Taste of Dorset Awards
There are some minor changes to the judging criteria for this year’s Taste of Dorset categories.
Building on the successful modifications introduced in 2012, this year’s changes have been introduced to improve and strengthen Dorset’s premier food and drink awards.
Previous year’s winners will not be eligible for the same class this year, and their names are given at the end of each category description. They will be eligible for other awards (and for the class they won in subsequent years).
Readers will be able to nominate their local food heroes as usual on the nomination form and via the website. Readers, individual producers and businesses are also invited to submit a short statement, in no more than 150 words, explaining why they believe a particular individual or business should win the award.
The judges will include representatives of the sponsors and experts from the local food industry.
The Colten Care Award for the Outstanding Contribution to food and drink in Dorset
This award is for the individual who has made an outstanding contribution to food and drink in Dorset. This can be a lifetime achievement award or may recognise a particular campaign, product development or contribution to the economic and/or environmental success of the farming and food and drink industry in Dorset. The judges will interview the finalists and will want to hear their stories. They will be looking for passion, knowledge, and vision – how they are helping to raise the profile of Dorset on the food map of England.
Finalists for this class will be selected on the basis of nominations by readers and individuals or organisations with knowledge of the nominee, explaining in no more than 150 words, why they believe their choice should win the award.
The 2012 winner was Nik Ralph, chairman of Dorset Farmers Markets
Best dining pub
This is about the quality of the food and drink, taking into account that this award is for a pub not a restaurant. The judges should look for ingredients that are locally sourced, seasonal, and identified as such. There should be really good draught beer that is well-kept. Are there any particular local dishes on the menu? Look at the range of beers and the wine list, and other available drinks. Are there any local/regional guest beers; are there any local wines? Do the waiting staff know about local beers (and local wines if any on the list) and can they advise on beers/wines to go with the food. If you have the opportunity, talk to the chef so that you can assess his/her passion/knowledge of local and seasonal products. Ask questions of the waiting staff. How much they do know - and if they don't know, do they offer to find out. (eg How many local/ regional cheeses are on the cheese board - what are they?) How good is the food? Taste and presentation both count. Price is not an issue as such - but does it offer value for money?
Finalists for this class will be selected on the basis of readers’ nominations. Readers will be encouraged to write, in no more than 150 words, explaining why they believe their choice is worthy of the award.
The 2012 winner was The Kings Arms at Longham
Innovation
The principal criteria are that the product and/or food business is new and innovative but it must not be a novelty or gimmicky product, that it must have been available for sale within Dorset in the 12 months to the end of June 2013, and that the ingredients are local where possible. The product may include ingredients that cannot be grown in Dorset (coffee and olives are obvious examples) but the production process must be based in Dorset. The product may be a farm diversification (eg ice cream or cheese from a dairy farm) or a new product from an established manufacturer. It may be an innovative development of an existing product, or a whole new product line. This is an award for genuine innovation, that enhances the breadth of food and drink production in Dorset, and is an additional source of income for a local business. The judges will need to look at packaging, marketing, website, use of social media and the whole style of the product. Do they use local designers, printers? Finalists for this class will be selected by self-nomination from the producers themselves, explaining in no more than 150 words, why they believe they should win the award.
The 2012 winner was AS Sushi
Grow your own
The popular Grow Your Own award has been extended in 2013 to include green-fingered gardeners as well as community groups. Whether you have only got a window box or tiny garden or are part of a community orchard or allotment scheme, you can enter for this award. The judge is Mike Burks of the Gardens Group, the sponsors of this class. He will be looking for expertise, local knowledge of soil and climate, variety and quality of produce grown, community involvement if it is a community orchard, allotment or other growing scheme and how the produce is shared or locally sold. Applicants are encouraged to keep records and photographs so that the judge can see the garden, greenhouse, allotment or community orchard throughout the growing season, not just on the day he visits.
Gardeners and community groups are invited to nominate their garden, allotment, orchard or other growing scheme, explaining in no more than 150 words, why they believe they should win the award.
The 2012 winners were Maiden Newton Allotments
Best local
The judges are looking for the real “pub at the hub.” They will be looking first and foremost at the beers – there should be good draught beer that is well-kept. Are there guest beers? Are they local? Do the bar staff know about the beers, where they come, their relative strengths, etc. Are there any other local drinks – eg wines, or ginger beer. Is there food, and if so is some of it local? What does the pub offer its regulars – is there pool, darts, music, local papers, a quiet area for those who just want a drink and a chat. Are there community notices? What other activities go on. What groups use the pub? Does it support any charities, local or otherwise? Is it welcoming? Would you want this pub as your local?
Finalists for this class will be selected on the basis of readers’ nominations. Readers will be encouraged to write, in no more than 150 words, explaining why they believe their choice is worthy of the award.
The 2012 winner was The Fox and Hounds at Cattistock
Best cafe or tea room
The judges should look at the menu - how much of the food is local and seasonal, and home-made (challenge whether a very long menu can all be made/prepared on the premises); check staff knowledge, of provenance, seasonality, etc. Presentation, service, taste and quality are equally important.
In the case of tea-rooms, is it "real tea" - is there a choice of teas, including herb/fruit teas; do you get generous portions to help yourself; is the tea served with real china? Is there a proper tablecloth (but this doesn't have to apply in gardens!) How good are the scones and cakes? Where do the cream, jam and other preserves come from?
Finalists for this class will be selected on the basis of readers’ nominations. Readers will be encouraged to write, in no more than 150 words, explaining why they believe their choice is worthy of the award.
The 2012 winner was Hive Beach Café at Burton Bradstock
Best Independent food shop, farm shop and delicatessen
This class is a new amalgamation of the previous two categories for farm shop and independent food shop. The new award is for any independent food shop in Dorset – it could be a village shop, butchers, bakers, greengrocers, fishmongers, a general stores, a delicatessen or farm shop. The criteria for the judges will be the range of local produce, the knowledge of the owner/staff, presentation, freshness, the quality of the service, sustainability (eg cardboard boxes or heavy paper carrier bags rather than plastic bags). The judges should talk to the owner/staff, looking for awareness of issues such as provenance, seasonality, the importance to the local economy of supporting local producers. Is the shop an important hub in the local community? What other services or facilities does it offer? This is a class about local support and produce, the role of the shop in the community – it is about quality not size. A small specialist shop could win or a locally owned convenience or general stores.
If it is a farm shop, the judges will want to know how much of the food is genuinely local? Is there a particular focus for the shop – eg the farm’s own meat or dairy produce, or vegetables, etc? Do they have recipe leaflets, or offer suggestions for cooking/using the farm produce. Do they offer weekend menus? Could you buy everything (or most of what you need) for Sunday lunch? Is this the main/only shop for the village/area? This award is looking for quality rather than quantity so a very small farm shop can win.
Finalists for this class will be selected on the basis of nominations by readers and from the proprietors of the shops, explaining in no more than 150 words, why they believe they should win the award.
The 2012 Farm Shop winner was Lagan Farm Shop at Orchard Park, Gillingham
The 2012 Independent Food Shop winner was Town Mill Cheesemonger from Lyme Regis
Best Restaurant
This class is about the overall quality of the meal and the dining experience, with an emphasis on local provenance, the knowledge and skill of the staff, and the presentation and taste of the food. The judges will be looking for locally sourced ingredients that are seasonal, and identified as such. Are there any particular local dishes on the menu? Look at the wine list, and other available drinks - are there any local wines? Talk to the sommelier and ask questions. Does he/she advise wines to complement your food? If you have the opportunity, talk to the chef so that you can assess his/her passion/knowledge local and seasonal products. The ambience of the restaurant is also important. Price is not an issue as such - but does the restaurant offer value for money?
Finalists for this class will be selected on the basis of readers’ nominations. Readers will be encouraged to write, in no more than 150 words, explaining why they believe their choice is worthy of the award.
The 2012 winner was The Eastbury Hotel at Sherborne
Best Dorset drink
The judges will look for the most interesting, best tasting genuine Dorset drink. It could be alcoholic or non-alcoholic. It could be a real ale or a traditional beer, a fine wine or an organic artisan apple juice, ginger, cider or a dairy drink (milk, milk shake, a yogurt drink, etc). The two criteria are provenance and taste. Does the product taste good? Are some of the ingredients sourced or grown in Dorset. If they are not local, is the production process entirely based in Dorset. How is the product marketed? Look at packaging, the website, use of social media, etc.
Finalists for this class will be selected on the basis of self nomination by the drinks producers, explaining in no more than 150 words, why they believe they should win the award.
The 2012 winner was Furleigh Estate vineyard from Salway Ash
Best Dorset food product
This could be any food produced, grown or reared in Dorset. It could be meat, cheese or other dairy, charcuterie, fruit or vegetables, biscuits or bread, cakes, sustainably caught fish or shellfish, jam, chutney or other preserve, chocolate or other confectionery. The judges will be looking for provenance - this product must be primarily produced in Dorset, with Dorset-sourced ingredients. Look at the packaging, website, marketing and use of social media. Does the product represent good value? Judges will want to test the knowledge, skill and passion of the producer. And they must taste the product. It’s all about the quality.
Finalists for this class will be selected on the basis of nominations by readers and from the producers themselves, explaining in no more than 150 words, why they believe they should win the award.
The 2012 winner was The Uncommon Pig
Best Dorset recipe by professional chefs and food writers, and domestic cooks
This was a successful innovation in 2012 and this year we have extended the interest in the category to include a cook-off for the domestic cooks as well as the professionals.
The category is split into two classes, for professional chefs, cooks and food writers and for keen domestic cooks.
For professionals the challenge is to produce an original recipe which uses primarily Dorset ingredients (produced or grown in the county). The recipe should not be from a published book or on a regular restaurant or pub menu. The finalists will be selected anonymously by the judges, and will compete in a cook-off at Bridport Food Festival on Saturday 15th June, and the dish or dishes must be able to be prepared in the demonstration tent in a timetable of approximately 40 minutes. Some elements of the dish may be prepared earlier (think Blue Peter!)
The domestic cooks are asked to create an original recipe which uses primarily Dorset ingredients (produced or grown in the county). The finalists, who will be selected anonymously by the judges, will take part in a cook-off in the Dorset Farmers Markets mobile kitchen at the Poundbury Farmers Market on the first weekend of July
Professionals and domestic cooks are asked to submit their recipes to the Blackmore Vale Magazine, and the finalists’ recipes will all be published in the magazine.
The 2012 winners were Mark Hartstone of La Fosse at Cranborne (professional) and Susan Richards of Sturminster Newton (domestic)
Send your recipe by email to the Blackmore Vale Magazine (jnorman@bvmedia.co.uk). Domestic cooks recipe deadline Friday 14th June. Professional chefs deadline Friday 24th May