West Yorkshire, UK
Great Taste Case Study
Damian Blackburn, Director of Dark Woods Coffee has been entering Great Taste since 2016, three years after the West Yorkshire-based coffee business was set up. Since then, the team of 25 has gone on to win 41 1-Star, 53 2-Star and 20 3-Star awards as well as three Golden Forks, the highest accolade any entrant can achieve.
Damian says; “We have huge respect for the awards, what they represent and the quality and diversity of our fellow entrants and their products. Over the last nine years we have seen the coffee category grow in popularity as well as seeing the first Golden Fork awarded for a coffee product. This reflects how the sector is maturing and increasing its focus on quality, as well as recognising how coffee can compete against, as well as, complement, more traditional artisan foods.
By participating in Great Taste we feel part of a community. Of course, the recognition that comes with being accredited stars is fantastic, but most of all, it is that sense of being part of something bigger, international, that embraces the world of fine food. We choose not to enter any coffee-specific awards because we value the Great Taste scheme and know that our products are being judged by connoisseurs of the speciality food world.
“Winning the range and number of stars that we have done over the years, as well as three Golden Forks, has really helped to raise awareness for our business and bring us to the attention of new customers. We know that it is a deciding factor for some customers choosing to work with us and it inspires and motivates the team to excel in what we do. Probably the most rewarding impact is the reaction we get from our coffee producer partners who benefit from seeing coffee that they have grown, harvested and nurtured, recognised for its excellence. It is a huge sense of pride and can be transformative for their farm business, opening up new markets.
“We are entering around 30 products into Great Taste 2025 and it would mean a huge amount to us to bring home yet more stars this year. We take Great Taste very seriously, from the moment we choose which coffees to enter, and roast and prepare the samples to send, right up to the buzz of anticipation within the team when the awards are announced.
We never presume that any of our coffees will win a star, and it is always a huge moment for us when the team gathers together to hear the results. If any of our entrants do turn out to be star worthy this year, we will have exactly the same sense of achievement and pride as we did when we received our very first star, nine years ago.”
