Product Awards Entry

The Taste of the West Awards programme, established more than three decades ago, highlights excellence throughout the South West’s food and drink industry.
Our highly regarded Awards programme provides an opportunity to gain recognition for your products. A Taste of the West Award is an excellent marketing tool, helping to convey the quality and values of your business to potential customers. Much interest is generated among both buyers and consumers.
The Taste of the West Awards programme enjoys significant media coverage in both the trade and consumer sectors thanks to an extensive, multi-media PR campaign.

General Information

1. The product awards are made up of 26 classes and are judged in three rounds. Judges evaluate each product individually, assessing its packaging, aroma, appearance, texture, and, most significantly, its taste.
2. Entries are judged by panels of independent industry experts including chefs, food writers, food buyers and other food professionals.
3. Gold, Silver and Commended awards will be announced after the fourth and final phase of Round 1 (see below). Awards are given entirely on merit and judges are not limited on the number of awards that can be given.
4. The highest scoring gold winning products are judged in Round 2 to identify the top ‘finalists’ in each class. These are then judged again at a later date in Round 3 to decide the Champion products in each class, and the coveted Supreme Champion Product Award. The winners of these awards are announced at a ceremony later in the year.

How it Works

1. Judging will be split into three distinct rounds:-
   • ROUND 1: initial judging split into four phases to determine Gold, Silver and Commended awards. All products entered – no matter into which phase - will be judged in the same manner with a limited number of products per round. There will be four separate entry and closing dates.
     UNLESS YOUR PRODUCT(S) HAVE WON a high scoring gold award, once your products have been judged in either phase 1, 2, or 3 they will not be judged again and the award attained will not change. Any products that win a high scoring gold will be recalled to be judged again in Round 2.
   • ROUND 2: all high scoring gold winning products will be recalled for judging. The highest scoring products from each class will be shortlisted for Round 3 (on occasion we may put through fewer or more than three).
   • ROUND 3: all shortlisted products from Round 2 will be recalled for judging to determine the Champions in each class and the Supreme Champion Product.
2. Judging for each of the phases in Round 1, will take place between November 2024 and May 2025. Information will be sent out regarding this, and how to deliver your products, after all entries in each round have been collated.
3. As some products may (potentially) have to be delivered for all three rounds, information on options to help with this will be sent out with delivery instructions.
4. We are aiming to judge approximately 375 products in each of the phases of Round 1.
5. Please note that due to the nature of some of the classes (e.g., hot drinks) the number of entries into those classes per phase, and the availability of the judges it may not be possible to judge your products until the last phase of judging.
6. The results from Phases 1, 2 and 3 in Round 1 (i.e., the gold, silver and commended awards) will be announced on our website at the end of each of the phases, after all the results have been verified. You will be emailed the day before results go live.

How to Enter

1. The best way to enter is via the Taste of the West website www.tasteofthewest.co.uk
2. All entries must be registered online no later than the closing date specified for that phase. Entries received after this date cannot be accepted and will be entered into the next phase.
3. FULL payment must be received on entering.

Entries

1. Every product must be the bona fide property of the entrant and must be made, reared or grown by the entrant within either one of the six counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire.
2. All products must be commercially and readily available and all products must be to the same standard as the foods available commercially.
3. Products are NOT blind tasted and must be presented for judging prepared and packaged ready as they would be for sale to the customer.
4. Presentation of a product for sale is important for commercial success and judges are looking at whether a product’s packaging is ‘fit for purpose’ and labelled correctly. Any packaged products submitted without the correct and proper labelling (i.e., name of product, ingredients, and all other legal requirements will be penalised and may NOT be judged.
5. Please note that all products must be submitted in some form of protective packaging/wrapping with a full ingredients label adhered to it. Even if this is not normally the way in which they are sold.
6. If your product is sold as a single serving portion (e.g., one pasty or one brownie or single steak) you will be asked to submit at least two of this item.

Payment for Entries
 

1. Current Patron Members are entitled to FOUR free entries
2. Current Gold Producer Members are entitled to FOUR free entries
3. Current Silver Producer Members are entitled to TWO free entries
4. Current Start-Up Producer Members are entitled to ONE free entry
5. Current Wholesale Members are entitled to ONE free entry
6. Subsequent entries placed by current members are priced as follows:

• Super Early Bird (entered before 31^st October 2024) - £52 plus VAT
• Phase Two entries - £57 plus VAT
• Phase Three entries - £62 plus VAT
• Phase Four entries - £66 plus VAT

6. Entries placed by non-Taste of the West members are priced as follows:

• Super Early Bird (entered before 31^st October 2024) - £62 plus VAT
• Phase Two entries - £67 plus VAT
• Phase Three entries - £72 plus VAT
• Phase Four entries - £76 plus VAT

7. Taste of the West Hospitality & Retail Members can enter their products at the members’ rate for that phase as above.
8. Full payment must be received at the time of entry and we will email you an invoice.
9. Your entry will not be judged if payment has not been received.

Delivery of Entries for Judging

1. Details for delivery of products for judging, including delivery address, dates and times will be issued after the individual entry closing date. Entrants will receive these details via email. PLEASE DO NOT SEND PRODUCT(S) UNTIL YOU HAVE HEARD FROM TASTE OF THE WEST.
2. Judging will take place between October 2024 and July 2025, dependent on which round of judging you enter.
3. If a product is sold as a single serving portion i.e., will only serve one person (e.g., a single pasty or brownie or single steak) entrants will be asked to submit at least two of this item.
4. A delivery email will be supplied listing the appropriate class number(s) and the products entered, along with a delivery label bearing the name, address and telephone number of the entrant. This should be attached to any package being delivered, or these details should be clearly marked on the package.
5. The entrant must, in all cases, pay the carriage of entries.
6. It is the responsibility of the entrant to ensure that all foods are packed, transported and delivered in a condition fit and safe for consumption by the judges (and are well within date). Any entries arriving in a damaged or unsafe condition will be disqualified and will not be liable to any return of entry fees.
7. No product can be returned following judging.

Awards

1. Results of the judging of the initial 26 classes in Round 1 will be available on the Taste of the West website www.tasteofthewest.co.uk within four weeks of the completion of judging. All entrants will be notified by email as soon as the results have been published.
2. All high scoring Gold winners in each class will be required to submit additional product for judging in Round 2 which will take place over two days later in the year.
3. During Round 2 of judging, the highest scoring gold award-winning products will be selected in each class to go through to the final round (Round 3) later in the year to determine the Champions in each class and the overall Supreme Champion Product. 
4. Those gold winners going through to Round 3 will, at this stage, be required to submit additional product.
5. Winners of the Champion Award in each category and the Supreme Champion Product Award will be announced and presented at the Taste of the West Awards Presentation Ceremony later in the year.
6. All award winners will be sent a certificate(s) in recognition of their award(s). Award winners will also be given the opportunity to purchase award labels for use on packaging and marketing material etc., Award winners will also be able to request a digital logo of their award(s).
7. Judges’ feedback will be sent to entrants upon request.
8. Award winners may state in advertising, promotional activity and stationery that they are recipients of an award but must include the award class/category and the year in which it was awarded.
9. Taste of the West reserves the right to publish articles and photographs concerning entrants and carry out publicity regarding the entrant.
10. Taste of the West reserves the right to give details of winners of the product classes to the sponsor of that particular class.
11. Recipients of awards may be asked at a later date for details of how their business has benefited from the award.

The Taste of the West Awards also comprise various hospitality and retail classes. Please visit our website www.tasteofthewest.co.uk for details on these classes.
If you have any questions, please contact the Taste of the West office on 01404 822012 or send an email to Lily Lawton: [email protected]
Taste of the West takes great care in dealing and processing your data in accordance with current GDPR legislation. In entering into the Taste of the West Awards, it is hereby acknowledged that Taste of the West will circulate and promote the contact details of Awards' entrants to the Award Sponsors. There is an opportunity for entrants to opt out of this benefit on acknowledgement of entry, should the entrant not wish to benefit from this service.