| The Guild of Fine Food Limited | |
| Type: | Private Company |
| Foundation: | 1992 |
| Location City: | Gillingham, Dorset |
| Location Country: | UK |
| Locations: | 2 |
| Founder: | Bob Farrand |
The Guild of Fine Food (GFF) is a British family-owned industry journal publisher that covers gourmet food news. It was founded by Bob Farrand in 1992.[1] [2]
All five directors are members of the Farrand family. Bob Farrand is the chairman, his son John Farrand is the managing director, daughter-in-law Tortie Farrand marketing director, his wife Linda Farrand a director and niece Sally Coley [3] [4]
GFF promotes the Great Taste Awards and also the World Cheese Awards, which were initiated in 1988.[5]
From its base in Gillingham, near Shaftesbury in Dorset, it promotes producers and sellers of "artisan food and drink" across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.[6]
The Great Taste Awards are open to members and non-members, but only products that pay an entry fee of between £38 and £240 per product are judged.[7] Winning products receive one, two or three stars.[8] In 2018, 12,634 food and drink products were judged.[8]
The World Cheese Award "World Champion" has been awarded to:[9] [10]
| Year | Winner | Venue and other details | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Blue Cheshire by Hutchinson-Smith & Sons, England.[11] | ||
| 1989 | Blue Stilton by Dairy Crest Foods, Hartington, England. | ||
| 1990 | Mature Traditional Cheddar by Dairy Crest, Sturminster Newton, England | ||
| 1991 | Fourme d'Ambert by Hennart Frères, France | ||
| 1992 | Le Gruyère Premier Cru by von Mühlenen of Switzerland. | ||
| 1993 | Double Gloucester by Dairy Crest, Longridge, England | ||
| 1994 | Brie de Meaux AOC by Hennart Frères, France | ||
| 1995 | Shropshire Blue by Cropwell Bishop Creamery, England | ||
| 1996 | Lord of the Hundreds by Traditional Cheese Dairy, England | ||
| 1997 | Parmigiano Reggiano by Caseficio Vittorio Quistello, Italy | ||
| 1998 | Mature Traditional Cheddar by Dairy Crest, Sturminster Newton, England | ||
| 1999 | Kollumer 18 months (Old Dutch master) by Frico Cheese, Holland | ||
| 2000 | Mature West Country Farmhouse Cheddar by Brue Valley Farms, England | ||
| 2001 | Camembert Super Medaillon by Isigny Sainte-Mère, France Mature Cheddar by Carbery, Ireland | ||
| 2002 | Le Gruyère AOC Reserve by von Mühlenen of Switzerland | ||
| 2003 | Chevre d'Or Camembert by Eurial-Poitouaine/Eurilai, France | ||
| 2004 | Camembert de Normandie by Isigny Sainte-Mère, France | ||
| 2005 | Le Gruyère Premier Cru by von Mühlenen of Switzerland. | ||
| 2006 | Ossau-Iraty by Fromagerie Agour of France | ||
| 2007 | Brie de Meaux, Rénard Gillard, France | ||
| 2008 | Queso Arico curado pimentón by Sociedad Canaria de Formento of Tenerife, Spain.[12] | ||
| 2009 | Le Cendrillon by La Maison Alexis de Portneuf of Québec, Canada.[13] | ||
| 2010 | Cornish Blue by Cornish Cheese Co. of England.[14] | ||
| 2011 | Ossau-Iraty by Fromagerie Agour of France.[15] | ||
| 2012 | Manchego DO Gran Reserva by Dehesa de Los Llanos of Spain.[16] | ||
| 2013 | Montagnolo Affiné by Käserei Champignon of Germany | 2,777 cheeses, 436 producers, 30 countries).[17] | |
| 2014 | Bath Blue by Bath Soft Cheese of England | 2,600 cheeses, 33 countries).[18] | |
| 2015 | Le Gruyère AOP by von Mühlenen of Switzerland | NEC, Birmingham; 2,727 cheeses).[19] | |
| 2016 | Kraftkar by Tingvollost of Norway | San Sebastián, Spain; 3,060 cheeses).[20] | |
| 2017 | Cornish Kern, by Lynher Dairies Cheese Company, England | Tobacco Dock, London; 3,001 cheeses).[21] | |
| 2018 | Fanaost, a gouda by Ostegården of Fana, Norway | Grieghallen, Bergen; 3,472 cheeses, 30 countries)[22] | |
| 2019 | Rogue River Blue by Rogue Creamery of Central Point, OR, USA | Bergamo, Italy; 3,804 cheeses, 42 countries).[23] [24] | |
| 2020 | colspan="2" | ||
| 2021 | Olavidia by Qesos y Besos (Lacteos Romero Pelaez) of Guarromán, Jaén, Spain | Oviedo, Spain; 4,079 cheeses, 45 countries).[25] | |
| 2022 | Le Gruyère AOC by Vorderfultigen Gourmino | Newport, Wales; Record 4,434 cheeses.[26] | |
| 2023 | Nidelven Blå by Gangstad Gårdsysteri | Trondheim, Norway; 4,502 cheeses.[27] |