UPTON-Upon-Severn’s much-loved Pudding Shop has been named as an award winner.

The shop, in Backfields Lane, won a star in the 2019 Great Taste Awards.

The Pudding Shop was given its awards for its “Cointreau Opulence” Christmas pudding.

Judges described it as “extraordinarily tasty” and complimented it as a “light pudding with plump fruit, well balanced spices, and Cointreau flavour.”

The Pudding Shop was chosen out of 12,772 products sent in from over 100 different countries and judged by more than 500 food critics, chefs, restaurateurs and retailers.

Great Taste is one of the most respected food accreditation scheme for artisan and speciality food producers.

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As well as a badge of honour, the black and gold Great Taste label is a signpost to the Christmas pudding, which was reviewed through hours and hours of blind tasting.

Don Bridges from the Pudding Shop said: “The Pudding Shop from Upton Upon Severn is thrilled to have been awarded the Great Taste 2019 award as a confirmation of the taste of our Christmas puddings, so long recognised by our long list of very regular customers.

“Throughout November The Pudding Shop will be holding free tastings of our Christmas Puddings every Friday in the kitchen between 11am and 3pm.”

The Great Taste Awards, held annually, is organised by the Guild of Fine Food.

A Great Taste Award is the acknowledged benchmark for fine food and drink, and has been described as the ‘Oscars’ of the food world.

More than 500 judges, including specially trained food writers inputting judges’ comments, came together at 75 judging days from March through to early July.

The judges, from all corners of the food world, blind-taste in teams of 3 or 4 before delivering their verdicts.

For more about the awards, go to greattasteawards.co.uk/