GTA 2010 Supreme Champion announced

A tiny Kent nut orchard and nature reserve has beaten the biggest names in speciality food & drink to become Great Taste Awards Supreme Champion 2010.

Hurstwood Farm’s 100% virgin cold-pressed Kentish cobnut oil was the unanimous choice of a Supreme Judging panel that included Selfridges food supremo Ewan Venters, Michelin-starred chef Sat Bains, TV chef Silvena Rowe and Stuart Gates of Harrods.

Simon Burdess of Fortnum & Mason, which sponsors the Supreme Champion award, presented the trophy to Hurstwood’s Catherine Robinson at a packed Great Taste Awards finals night at Fortnums on September 6.

It followed a three-hour final judging session where the 14-member jury – which also included restaurant critic Charles Campion and Sunday Times Style food columnist Lucas Hollweg – chose all this year’s major award winners from around 40 finalists.

Describing its oil as “the taste of fresh hazelnuts in a bottle”, the judges said Hurstwood Farm – the UK’s only commercial cobnut oil producer – was the stand-out winner. But they were unable to choose between the two front-runners in the Best English Speciality category, sponsored by the English Food & Drink Alliance, awarding the title jointly to Jervaulx Blue, the new creamy blue cheese from Wensleydale Dairy Products, and Laverstoke Park’s buffalo fillet steak.

Over 6,000 products were entered into this year’s awards, up 25% on last year. Of these, 1,750 products picked up gold stars, with just 100 – including the Kentish cobnut oil – securing the maximum three stars.

Hurstwood also won the Ambient Product of the Year category, sponsored by Petty Wood.

To see all this year's major winners, click here.