AFTER weeks of blind tasting more than 12,600 products, Newcastle-based tea and coffee firm Ringtons has been awarded a 22 accolades in the Great Taste food and drinks awards.

Ringtons received 14 Great Taste awards for its tea products, six for its coffee and two for biscuits. Nine of the awards were given to the company’s recently launched loose leaf collection, and six were awarded to coffee products – the first time Ringtons has received awards for its coffee range. Six of the winning products were deemed ‘beyond delicious’ and given two-star rating, while 16 received a one-star ‘fantastic flavour’ accolade.

Jon Malton, Ringtons divisional director said: “We are particularly proud to be recognised by the UK’s most prestigious food and drinks awards and receive our 40th Great Taste accolade to date. It is particularly rewarding to have received our first Great Taste Awards for six of our coffee products, having recently invested heavily in our coffee roasting and packing facilities in Newcastle. In addition, we have launched three new coffee products this year which have all won Great Taste awards – our Triple Certified Bean even won a two-star award. Our new loose-leaf collection has also been given nine accolades, and this range has been launched as both a wholesale and retail product so our customers can serve and sell the winning teas and infusions in fresh, high-quality doy packaging.”

Great Taste 2018 will reach its exciting finale on Sunday, September 2, when the world of fine food gathers at the InterContinental Park Lane Hotel, London to find out the Great Taste Golden Fork trophy winners for each region, with the final applause reserved for the Great Taste Supreme Champion 2018.