Guild of Fine Food

Last updated

The Guild of Fine Food Limited
Company typePrivate Company
Founded1992
FounderBob Farrand
Headquarters
Gillingham, Dorset
,
UK
Number of locations
2
Website www.gff.co.uk

The Guild of Fine Food (GFF) is a British family-owned industry journal publisher that covers gourmet food news. It was founded by Bob Farrand in 1992. [1] [2]

Contents

All five directors are members of the Farrand family. Bob Farrand is the chairman, his son John Farrand is the managing director, daughter-in-law Tortie Farrand marketing director, his wife Linda Farrand a director and niece Sally Coley [3] [4]

GFF promotes the Great Taste Awards and also the World Cheese Awards, which were initiated in 1988. [5]

From its base in Gillingham, near Shaftesbury in Dorset, it promotes producers and sellers of "artisan food and drink" across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. [6]

Great Taste Awards

The Great Taste Awards are open to members and non-members, but only products that pay an entry fee of between £38 and £240 per product are judged. [7] Winning products receive one, two or three stars. [8] In 2018, 12,634 food and drink products were judged. [8]

World Cheese Awards

The World Cheese Award "World Champion" has been awarded to: [9] [10]

YearWinnerVenue and other details
1988 Flag of England.svg Blue Cheshire by Hutchinson-Smith & Sons, England. [11]
1989 Flag of England.svg Blue Stilton by Dairy Crest Foods, Hartington, England.
1990 Flag of England.svg Mature Traditional Cheddar by Dairy Crest, Sturminster Newton, England
1991 Flag of France.svg Fourme d'Ambert by Hennart Frères, France
1992 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Le Gruyère Premier Cru by von Mühlenen of Switzerland.
1993 Flag of England.svg Double Gloucester by Dairy Crest, Longridge, England
1994 Flag of France.svg Brie de Meaux AOC by Hennart Frères, France
1995 Flag of England.svg Shropshire Blue by Cropwell Bishop Creamery, England
1996 Flag of England.svg Lord of the Hundreds by Traditional Cheese Dairy, England
1997 Flag of Italy.svg Parmigiano Reggiano by Caseficio Vittorio Quistello, Italy
1998 Flag of England.svg Mature Traditional Cheddar by Dairy Crest, Sturminster Newton, England
1999 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Kollumer 18 months (Old Dutch master) by Frico Cheese, Holland
2000 Flag of England.svg Mature West Country Farmhouse Cheddar by Brue Valley Farms, England
2001 Flag of France.svg Camembert Super Medaillon by Isigny Sainte-Mère, France
Flag of Ireland.svg Mature Cheddar by Carbery, Ireland
2002 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Le Gruyère AOC Reserve by von Mühlenen of Switzerland
2003 Flag of France.svg Chevre d'Or Camembert by Eurial-Poitouaine/Eurilai, France
2004 Flag of France.svg Camembert de Normandie by Isigny Sainte-Mère, France
2005 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Le Gruyère Premier Cru by von Mühlenen of Switzerland.
2006 Flag of France.svg Ossau-Iraty by Fromagerie Agour of France
2007 Flag of France.svg Brie de Meaux, Rénard Gillard, France
2008 Flag of Spain.svg Queso Arico curado pimentón by Sociedad Canaria de Formento of Tenerife, Spain. [12]
2009 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Le Cendrillon by La Maison Alexis de Portneuf of Québec, Canada. [13]
2010 Flag of England.svg Cornish Blue by Cornish Cheese Co. of England. [14]
2011 Flag of France.svg Ossau-Iraty by Fromagerie Agour of France. [15]
2012 Flag of Spain.svg Manchego DO Gran Reserva by Dehesa de Los Llanos of Spain. [16]
2013 Flag of Germany.svg Montagnolo Affiné by Käserei Champignon of Germany2,777 cheeses, 436 producers, 30 countries). [17]
2014 Flag of England.svg Bath Blue by Bath Soft Cheese of England2,600 cheeses, 33 countries). [18]
2015 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Le Gruyère AOP by von Mühlenen of SwitzerlandNEC, Birmingham; 2,727 cheeses). [19]
2016 Flag of Norway.svg Kraftkar by Tingvollost of NorwaySan Sebastián, Spain; 3,060 cheeses). [20]
2017 Flag of England.svg Cornish Kern, by Lynher Dairies Cheese Company, EnglandTobacco Dock, London; 3,001 cheeses). [21]
2018 Flag of Norway.svg Fanaost, a gouda by Ostegården of Fana, Norway Grieghallen, Bergen; 3,472 cheeses, 30 countries) [22]
2019 Flag of the United States.svg Rogue River Blue by Rogue Creamery of Central Point, OR, USA Bergamo, Italy; 3,804 cheeses, 42 countries). [23] [24]
2020No competition due to COVID-19. [25]
2021 Flag of Spain.svg Olavidia by Qesos y Besos (Lacteos Romero Pelaez) of Guarromán, Jaén, Spain Oviedo, Spain; 4,079 cheeses, 45 countries). [26]
2022 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Le Gruyère AOC by Vorderfultigen Gourmino Newport, Wales; Record 4,434 cheeses. [27]
2023 Flag of Norway.svg Nidelven Blå by Gangstad Gårdsysteri Trondheim, Norway; 4,502 cheeses. [28]

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References

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  2. "THE GUILD OF FINE FOOD LIMITED - Overview (free company information from Companies House)". Companies House. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  3. "Meet the team". The Guild of Fine Food. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  4. "THE GUILD OF FINE FOOD LIMITED - Officers (free information from Companies House)". Companies House. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  5. "In the best possible taste – the Guild of Fine Food: Joël Lacey visits Gillingham's Guild of Fine Food". Dorset Life. Dorset Life Magazine. 28 February 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  6. "Guild website: Join the Guild". Fine Food Guild. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  7. "Brochure : "Entry information"" (PDF). gff.co.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  8. 1 2 "Great Taste - A History" (PDF). gff.co.uk. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  9. "Los 28 mejores quesos del mundo de la historia reciente". ABC Viajar. 15 November 2016.
  10. Briggs, Fiona (13 December 2010). "Fine food boss picks eight champion cheeses for Christmas". Retail Times.
  11. "Group Captain David Hutchinson Smith". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  12. White, Emma (17 October 2008). "World Cheese Awards unveiled". Thecaterer.com. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  13. "World Cheese Awards 2009". Thegoodwebguide.co.uk. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  14. "2010 World Cheese Awards: Major Winners". Cheesemonger's Weblog. 28 November 2010. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  15. "French sheep's milk cheese is champion at 2011 World Cheese Awards". Retail Times. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  16. "Manchego wins nail-biting World Cheese Awards 2012". Cheesechap.com. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  17. "World Cheese Awards Winners Announced | News | Speciality Food Magazine". Specialityfoodmagazine.com. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  18. "Bath Blue takes the highest honour in world cheese". The Guild of Fine Food. 14 November 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  19. Spector, Felicity (30 November 2015). "Is this the best cheese in the world?". The Telegraph. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  20. "Kraftkar, un queso azul noruego, mejor del mundo en los World Cheese Awards 2016" [Kraftkar, a Norwegian blue cheese, world's best in the 2016 World Cheese Awards]. ELMUNDO (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  21. "British cheese named best in the world at World Cheese Awards 2017". FG Insight. 20 November 2017. Archived from the original on 19 August 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  22. Lane, Michael (2 November 2018). "Norwegian gouda is 2018 World Cheese Awards champion". Guild of Fine Food. Archived from the original on 6 November 2018.
  23. "US cheese takes top spot at World Cheese Awards 2019". Dairy Reporter. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  24. "The World's Best Cheese? It's Blue and Comes From Oregon". New York Times. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  25. "World Cheese Awards rescheduled for 2021". Guild of Fine Food. 22 July 2020.
  26. "This Spanish Cheese Was Just Named 'World's Best'". Food & Wine. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  27. "The World Champion Cheese 2022 is announced: Le Gruyère AOP surchoix". Guild of Fine Food. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  28. Ørnhaug, Elina Rydland; Hatland, Lena Erikke; Flatjord, Nora Garnes (27 October 2023). "Dette er verdens beste ost" [This is the best cheese in the world]. NRK (in Norwegian). Retrieved 28 October 2023.