FOOD + DRINK
TASTE OF KENT AWARDS: JUDGING THE VERY BEST OF KENT FOOD & DRINK
24 JUDGES, 17 CATEGORIES, ONE VERY FULL DAY OF TASTING, AND BY THE END OF IT I DON’ T THINK A SINGLE PERSON WANTED TO THINK ABOUT EATING DINNER WHEN THEY GOT HOME. BY JILL SARGENT
That’ s the Taste of Kent Awards judging day for you. It’ s easy to forget quite how much goes into it until you’ re standing in a room full of hundreds of tiny plates of food, reams of tasting notes and people arguing( politely) about the merits of one chutney over another.
The judging teams, a mix of food and drink professionals and our brilliant awards sponsors- including insideKENT editor Sam Ready- worked their way through the best Kent has to offer this year, jar by jar, bottle by bottle, bake by bake. Some entries are absolute classics that everyone instantly knows they’ re going to love. Others stop the room entirely, the kind of thing you taste once and immediately want to know who made it and where you can buy more.
It’ s easy to say judging sounds like a lovely day out, and it really is, but it’ s also hard work. Every product gets real attention, every score is argued over and nobody in that room takes it lightly, because behind every entry is someone who’ s put time, money and a fair amount of nerve into getting it there.
That’ s really what the awards are about. Not the trophies( although those help), but the chance to put a spotlight on the people doing the work: the growers, bakers, brewers and makers who make Kent’ s food and drink scene what it is. Produced in Kent organises the awards, covering everything from food and drink products to hospitality, retail and wider business excellence, and 2026 is a big one for us as we celebrate 20 years of the Taste of Kent Awards!
If the judging day teaches us anything, it’ s how much true invention is happening on our doorstep. Kent producers are pulling from the county’ s landscape … its farming history, its coastline … and turning that into things that feel properly of this place while still pushing forward. Traditional, experimental, indulgent, sustainable, unexpected; this year’ s entries covered all of it and did it with real confidence.
The shortlist for the 2026 awards lands on the Taste of Kent Awards website in early September. Go and have a look. Find a producer you’ ve never heard of, then go and buy something from them.
On 8 October 2026, the community will come together for the awards event to reveal the winners and celebrate the very best in Kent. It will be a moment to applaud talent, hard work and resilience, but also to recognise the generosity and spirit that make this sector so special. After a judging day full of flavour, one thing is certain: Kent has plenty to be proud of!
tasteofkentawards. co. uk tasteofkentawards
94 • www. insidekent. co. uk