Client: Welsh Assembly Government
Who enters? Welsh producers, suppliers, retailers and eating establishments
Awards outline
This awards programme is the ‘Oscars’ of the Welsh food and drink indstry. For many companies in Wales participating in the True Taste Awards, and winning awards, has delivered real business benefits in increased profile and increased sales. To pass the True Taste test and win an award it takes a truly excellent product or service. Entries undergo a rigorous testing process by expert judges. There are 30 categories and awards in total. Gold, Silver and Bronze awards are given.
How does the competition work?
Stage one – gaining entries
The competition entry form is designed, printed and mailed to potential entrants.
The competition marketing involves direct mail, local and national PR, telemarketing and email.
Sponsors of the competition are also sought.
Stage two – Management of entries
All entries are received by mail and email.
They are all data-captured into a database and allocated unique ‘TT’ numbers according to their company, the category they’ve entered, and the entry number within the category.
Stage three – Taste Judging Heats
All the taste categories are firstly judged at three heats – held in the South, Mid and North of Wales. Expert judges from all over the industry including chefs, food critics, editors, and specialists in a number of fields are invited to take part in the judging.
The heats are divided by taste category and each product is ‘blind’ tasted by expert judges in that particular field. The best performing products in the heats go through to the finals. Products are received in on delivery day, and judged the next day. All products are stored at the appropriate temperature in freezers, fridges or ambient – and leading chefs prepare products where necessary. Logistics of this operation are enormous, and attention to detail vital.
Stage four – Taste Judging Finals
The best performing products from the taste category heats are tasted at the final and three award winners from each category are chosen.
Stage five – Paper judging
There are a number of ‘People and Places Award Categories’ that are paper judged based on supplementary information forms that companies are asked to complete. Various mystery dining, mystery retailing and telephone interviews then take place over a series of weeks. The finalists of each of these are then agreed and expert judging panels are pulled together to make final decisions.
Stage five – the award ceremony
The finalists are invited to an awards ceremony, where the bronze, silver and gold are awarded.
