THE OWNERS of a Malvern brewery are raising their glasses this week to celebrate success at their first attempt in a national award scheme.

The Friday Beer Company based in Malvern Link has scooped Great Taste Awards for two of its bottled beers – Friday Gold and Pinnacle Rye Ale.

The business was established six years ago after three expert material scientists were made redundant. They came up with the idea of brewing real ale in the heart of the Malvern Hills using local and British ingredients to produce the flavours.

Company director Gerald Williams said he and his colleagues are exceptionally pleased to receive the accolades. “It is a real confirmation to us that our beer is not just good, it stands up to others in the country. We have got fabulous products and they are worthy of these very high profile awards.”

Both beers received two star Great Taste Awards which marks them out as being “outstanding” and “beyond delicious”. Friday Gold is one of the company’s original beers and has been its best seller to date.

Mr Williams said their beers won first and second prizes at the Three Counties Show about three years ago but this the first time they had entered the Great Taste Awards.

He said you have to be a member of the Guild of Fine Foods to take part and entries range from sauces and sweets like fudge to beer. They originally had the idea of entering the awards scheme last year but had missed the deadline and had to wait another year.

Recognised as a stamp of excellence among consumers and retailers alike, Great Taste, values taste above all else, with no regard for branding or packaging.

Whether it is gin, biscuits, sausages or coffee being judged, all products are removed from their wrapper, jar, box or bottle before being tasted. The judges then savour, confer and re-taste to decide which products are worthy of a one, two or three-star award.

The thousands of entries are judged by a panel of experts who this year included chef, food writer and author Gill Meller; BBC MasterChef judge and restaurant critic Charles Campion; author and Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen chef Zoe Adjonyoh; baker Tom Herbert; and food writer and baking columnist Martha Collison; as well as food buyers from Fortnum & Mason, Selfridges, and Harvey Nichols.

These esteemed palates have together tasted and re-judged the three-star winners to finally agree on the 2017 Top 50 Foods, which will be announced in August, the Golden Fork Trophy winners and the Great Taste 2017 Supreme Champion.

Other Worcestershire food and drink producers to receive Great taste Awards this year include Macneil’s Smoked Mackerel, from Rushock near Hartlebury, which gained the only three-star award in the county; Pershore College Traditional Medium Sparkling Cider and Pershore College Cox Apple Juice each gained two stars; Macneil's Beechwood Cold Smoked Salmon and Macneil's Beechwood Hot Smoked Salmon both received two stars; Lightwood Cheese of Upper Broadheath near Worcester gained two stars for its St Thom. One star winners included The Unity Brew House, Suckley; Ruby’s Kitchen, Cotheridge, near Worcester; The Food Stork, Broadway; Teme Valley Brewery, Knightwick; and Croome Cuisine, Whittington, Worcester.