FOOD + DRINK
TASTE OF KENT AWARDS:
2026 FINALISTS
FOLLOWING RIGOROUS JUDGING BY A PANEL OF INDUSTRY EXPERTS, INCLUDING CHEFS, BUYERS, FOOD WRITERS AND SECTOR SPECIALISTS AS WELL AS MONTHS OF TASTING AND MYSTERY VISITS, 72 PRODUCTS AND BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED AS FINALISTS ACROSS 24 CATEGORIES FOR THIS YEAR’ S AWARDS.
Kent Savoury Pantry Product of the Year Wholemeal Flour, Hinxhill Fields, Hinxhill near Ashford Kentish Tomato Chutney, Karimix, Faversham ÀTÀ Heat, Obas Kitchen, Benenden
Kent Sweet Pantry Product of the Year Sourdough Granola, Madre, Margate Rose Infused Honey, Penelobees Ltd., Canterbury Roasted Hazelnut & Cocoa Spread, Trufflus, Rochester
Kent Savoury Bakery Product of the Year Kent Cracker, Gilda Bakery, Bishopsbourne Smoked Ham, Leek and Cheddar Quiche, Liz Reid, Tunbridge Wells Red Leicester and Black Pepper Bagel, Pebble Beach Bakery, Littlestone
Kent Sweet Bakery Product of the Year Tiramisu Doughnut, Bombo Doughnuts, Ramsgate Kentish Fruit Huffkin, Gilda Bakery, Bishopsbourne Sweet Focaccia with Cinnamon & Vanilla Icing, The Hunton Baker, Hunton
Kent Confectionery & Snack Product of the Year Bean to Bar 70 % Sierra Nevada, Colombia, N2 Sweet Lab, Maidstone Croissant Crisps, Pit Stop General Store, Folkestone 70 % Ghanaian Dark Chocolate Bar, Trufflus, Rochester
Kent Cheese of the Year Rowswell Red, Cheesemakers of Canterbury, Dargate Ellie’ s Original Goats Cheese, Cheesemakers of Canterbury, Dargate Winterdale Shaw, Winterdale Cheesemakers, Fairseat
Kent Dairy Product of the Year Brown Butter & Rosemary, Sour Plum Ice Cream, Bears Ice Cream Imaginarium, Whitstable Strawberry, Olive Oil & White Chocolate Ice Cream, Bears Ice Cream Imaginarium, Whitstable Raw Milk, Kingcott Dairy, Staplehurst
Kent Meat Product of the Year Gluten Free Chicken Sausages, Korker Sausages Ltd., Cranbrook Single Rib of Beef, S. W. Doughty, Doddington Old English Sausages, White Rocks Farm, Underriver
Kent Fresh Fish or Seafood Product of the Year Hythe Bay Turbot, The Seafood Deli Kitchen, St Mary’ s Bay Dressed Crab, Seafoods, Bexleyheath Tankerton Smokeshed Smoked Salmon, Tankerton Smokeshed, Whitstable
Kent Ready Meals & Prepared Food Product of the Year Fish Pie, Frook Eats, Tunbridge Wells Cherry Bakewell Cookie Dough, More Tasty Crumbs, Folkestone The Luxury Seafood Boil Home Cook Kit, The Seafood Deli Kitchen, St Mary’ s Bay
Kent Non-Alcoholic Cold Drink of the Year Spiced Apple Juice, Chegworth Valley, Harrietsham Apple & Beetroot Juice, Chegworth Valley, Harrietsham Zak’ s Kombucha- Citrus Hops, Zak’ s Kombucha, Wye
Kent Non-Alcoholic Hot Drink of the Year Good Night Blend, Bergamia Tea Ltd., Sittingbourne Corban’ s Tea- Double Mint, Corban Coffee, Sevenoaks Fazenda Pantano, Corban Coffee, Sevenoaks
“ To be shortlisted as a finalist is a fantastic achievement and a reflection of the hard work, innovation and dedication that exists across our sector. Our finalists should be immensely proud, not only of their own success, but of the contribution they make to a thriving food and drink community that we’ re proud to champion through Produced in Kent.”
CAROL FORD, EXECUTIVE CHAIR, PRODUCED IN KENT
Kent Spirit of the Year Vin de Noix, Hinxhill Fields, Hinxhill near Ashford London Dry Gin, Invoke distillery Ltd., Sevenoaks Amaretto Liqueur, Pleasant Land Distillery, Sandgate White Cliffs Gin, Pleasant Land Distillery, Sandgate
Kent Beer of the Year 1698, Shepherd Neame, Faversham Whitstable Bay Pale Ale, Shepherd Neame, Faversham Bishops Finger, Shepherd Neame, Faversham
108 • www. insidekent. co. uk