With a very sweet tooth, it’s always a treat to judge this category of the FreeFrom Food Awards. The FreeFrom Food Awards, the UK’s only industry awards for freefrom food, were started in 2008 by FoodsMatter to encourage innovation and celebrate excellence in the freefrom food industry. The announcements were made on 28th April, and followed a long judging process in which the food is all prepared according to the directions on the packaging, then presented to judges from across the food sector to judge ‘blind’. They are asked to feedback on criteria including quality, usefulness, cleverness and nutritional profile – and also to make comments that could be helpful to the manufacturers. The selection of entries is always an absolute joy with a selection of interesting and delightful Chocolates and Confectionery.
And with the results announced, I can share with you some of the award winning entries (and of course) LINKS which enable you to actually taste them and purchase them for yourselves after judging these entries earlier in the year:
Confectionery and Chocolate – Sponsored by Wellaby’s
The GOLD winners in this category for 2020 are:
Asda Free From & Vegan Choc Orange Easter Egg
‘Lovely orange aroma and nice contrasting textures. Great orange flavouring – present but not overpowering. Good melt in the mouth. Great value – reminds me of a Terry’s Chocolate Orange.’
This was a great entry with a good quality chocolate with a deep orange flavour. I remember enjoying this entry: Shame it’s only available at Easter!
Marks & Spencers Fizzy Dinosaurs
‘What a fun idea – chewy with a great fizz. Juicy flavour and a nice sour/sweet tang which leaves you wanting more. The purple one had flavour of Parma violet – which is certainly different!’
This sweet was a great fizzy hit with some different flavours with the bags of treats.
Moo Free Seasalt & Lime
‘Interesting flavour combination. Great hint of lime but not overpowering. Very pretty. Organic ingredients always a bonus – good quality – impressive’
This was an exceptional chocolate bar with a unusual hit of lime combined with the sea salt which made the sweetness even more intense.
Alongside these GOLD winners, the FreeFrom Food Awards celebrated SILVER winners:
Marks & Spencer Made without Dairy Dark Chocolate with mint and a sugar crunch
‘Dark and fresh with the mint crunch. Something interesting and different. Good mint flavour to balance dark chocolate. Nice crunch to add to texture.’
My Sweet Chickpea Cappuccino & Dark Chocolate Roasted Chickpeas
‘Reminds me of a smartie. May contains are clear. Very different and innovative. Good cappucino flavour. Looks stunning. Very interesting product. Interesting covering, fascinating texture, intrigued by this. Innovative. Different.’
Truffle Pig Classic Mixed Truffle Box – Double Chocolate, Salted Caramel & Butter Nut
‘Feels luxurious. Stunning looking. Double chocolate – very rich. Very lovely, runny salty caramel. Butter nut delicious. Makes a change to have runny centres! Something different to other truffles out there… Look v special, hand made rather than moulded.’
And a handful of BRONZE Winners:
Asda Free From Belgian Dark Chocolate Egg with Vanilla Flavoured Truffles
‘A smooth and indulgent dark chocolate egg. Really enjoyable. The truffles are impressive. Cocoa nibs an excellent idea and good quality chocolate. Truflle not too sweet. Together a delicious combination. Nice apearance and shine. Good tasting dark chocolate. Nice flavoured truffle with soft inside texture.’
Booja-Booja Hazelnut Crunch Chocolate Truffles Two Truffle Pack
‘Tastes luxurious, melts in your mouth. Smooth creamy, delectable. Amazing smell. Rich. Indulgent and creamy. Sweet and bitter. Feels expensive.’
Lazy Day Foods Free From & Vegan Belgian Chocolate Truffle Trio
‘Stunning. Really indulgent. Mighty impressive with the product and variety. Good raspberry flavour. Quite fudgy in texture. Good caramelly taste. Nice decorations. Excellent that it is produced on a nut free site. Very good labelling.’
Marks & Spencer Made Without Dairy Dark Chocolate with cocoa nibs
‘Cocoa nibs are really nice touch. Tastes like quality. Strong powerful dark choc. Enjoyable bitterness, good snap.’
NOMO Fruit & Crunch Choc Bar
‘Excellent quality. No top 14 and good labelling. Good texture with crunch. Good sweetness with raisins. Impressive taste and balance of crunch and fruit.’
This is my favourite category to judge: someone has to enjoy all that chocolate and sweet treats and there’s always a great array of chocolates to enjoy. Some are really special and receive an award for 2020, but others don’t quite make the mark!
So remember, if you’re interested in judging these Award Winning products, LINK through the highlighted text and find themselves for yourselves!
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One of the hard-hitting posters (featuring Yours Truly) from Coeliac UK launched for Awareness Week in 2015, featured in the Netherlands in 2016 and returning for Awareness Week 2019.
And remember I love my revised Chocolate Box guide (based upon Chocolatier Producers, Chocolate Boxes on the High Street and Luxurious Chocolate Boxes, Chocolate Bars, Chocolate Bags, my Chocolate Easter Eggs from Chocolatiers and Chocolate manufacturers, High Street Stores and London Department Stores and more recently, my Valentine Chocolates.
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This information was correct as of April 2019 (when first published with some additional notes for May 2020).
But as I am learning, ingredients do change and therefore you should always read the label and check for yourself whether it is GLUTEN FREE or not!