Great Taste – Terms & Conditions

Updated: December 2023

1.1 ‘The Organisers’ or the ‘Guild’ – ‘The Guild of Fine Food Ltd.’, the organisation that runs Great Taste.
1.2 ‘MyGuild’ – the online portal through which entrants enter Great Taste.
1.3 ‘Company’ is a sole trader or business that enters Great Taste
1.4 ‘Company profile’ – the Company’s record on MyGuild, through which entries to Great Taste are made and the results & feedback recorded and released to the entrant.
1.5 ‘User account’ – an email address and password to access the Company Profile on MyGuild. There can be multiple user accounts for a Company Profile.

2.1 Great Taste is open to food producers, importers, distributors, and retailers of speciality food and drink products.
2.2 To be eligible to enter Great Taste, entrants must confirm that they are registered as a Food Business with the Food Standards Agency,(or, for FSA-approved exceptions e.g. spirit production, must have local authority approval in the UK), or registered for food production with a competent authority in their country (if outside the UK). Companies that are not registered with the relevant authority will be unable to enter products into Great Taste. No refunds can be given for withdrawn entries. Additionally, entrants will be asked about food safety accreditation and documentation.
2.3 Entries from retailers, importers and distributors are NOT eligible unless the name of the food producer is included on the entry form in the Producer/ Manufacturer field.
2.4 All entries must be commercially available to the general public in a retail environment i.e. sold through independent retailers, local markets, online or a multiple retailer, at the time of entering. Home delivery services such as Deliveroo or Uber Eats are not considered a retail environment in this context.
2.5 Producers should be aware of the judging dates (March – June) when considering which products to enter. To enter products that are not available during this period due to issues of seasonality ONLY, please contact the Great Taste team to discuss whether or not a possible time can be allocated for alternative judging.
2.6 Products that are not able to be judged between March – June will not be eligible for major awards, i.e. Golden Fork.
2.7 Products may only be entered into Great Taste if they can be tasted alone or with the addition of only ONE added ingredient, e.g. chicken or rice. The single added ingredient must be selected from a dropdown list of options (category dependent), found on the entry form, which the organiser will provide to ensure consistency. Please do not suggest any food pairing in your entry description as this cannot be adhered to. Please note that Baking Mixes, Meal Kits and Smoothie Kits are not accepted in any form including multi-step kits, e.g. duck & pancake kits, even if all ingredients are provided in the kit/ it can be tasted with one additional ingredient.
2.8 No products can be accepted into Great Taste that require specialist equipment to taste, e.g. pastries or bread requiring steam oven cooking etc.
2.9 Products not eligible for entry include: traditional grape-based wines, flour, fresh/ frozen vegetables, salad leaves (including those with dressings/seasoning), fresh/ frozen fruit or herbs, pre-packed salads, baby/ toddler food and drink (including food and drink specifically targeted at children e.g. yoghurts for children, pressed fruit snacks), pre-stuffed whole poultry, powders and supplements (including proteins, dietary supplements and health/sports nutrition products), bubble or chewing gum, sugar substitutes/ replacements with mild or no taste (including stevia drops), essence sprays for drinks, vitamins  (even if flavoured), Easter eggs, CBD oil, hot or cold sandwiches/ wraps, products containing non-sustainable palm oil, and prepared foods which require assembling ahead of judging e.g. takeaway dishes. The Organisers have final say on product eligibility.
2.10 Prepared dishes must be ready-made on arrival at the judging location. The Organisers are unable to accept any food service or food-to-go products or dishes that are sold to take away or for home delivery for immediate consumption. Food Service products are only permitted for entry if they are commercially available for purchase by other retailers e.g. delis, farm shops, for sale to the consumer.
2.11 ONE flavour equals ONE entry. Multipacks containing multiple flavours/ variants are not eligible for entry. This includes multipack yoghurts, assorted chocolates, macaroons, meringues etc. Products that are consumed as a handful, where flavours cannot be separated, with those flavours contributing to the overall taste of the product, e.g. multi-flavour fruit gummies, mixed nuts and raisins, trail mix, are permitted. The Organisers’ decision on product eligibility is final.
2.12 Coffee should be entered in bean form where possible. Beans & ground versions of the same coffee are not permitted as two different entries. Please see point 10.7 for further information.
2.13 The judging panels are assessing the taste and flavour of the products, not any associated health or nutritional benefits of a product. Therefore, entrants are advised to avoid entering products that in themselves have little or no taste, or are not primarily designed to be flavoursome.
2.14 All products must be made to the same standard and recipe as the foods available commercially. Different batches made specifically for Great Taste judging will be disqualified. If a product is entered as a seasonal blend this blend must be identified in the description/ product name.
2.15 Only entries fit for human consumption will be judged.
2.16 Great Taste Organisers reserve the right to refuse entry of a product if it is deemed inappropriate or not in the true spirit of the Awards.

 

3.1 All entries must be entered by a user registered on MyGuild under a Company wishing to enter. Where possible, entries should be entered by one person who has been registered as a user with the Company profile. To check your company details and users attached to your account and make any amends or request updates, please login into MyGuild.
3.2 The entry system will automatically send all Great Taste correspondence about entries, deliveries and results to the user who made the entry. However, this point of contact can be changed to another user within the Company profile at a later date if required.
3.3 It is the responsibility of all entrants to ensure that the user entering, or subsequently set to receive correspondence within the Company profile, has access to their email account during entry, delivery and results periods.
3.4

It is the responsibility of all entrants to ensure that the domain name gff.co.uk is added to a safe senders list to avoid missing important Great Taste information.
3.5 It is the responsibility of all entrants taking part in Great Taste to provide correct information and spellings of company names, product names and contact details.
3.6 A VAT receipt will be emailed to you on completion of your online transaction. This is the ONLY receipt you will receive.
3.7 The next edition of Great Taste closes for entry on 6 February 2024 or when the maximum number of entry spaces available are filled, whichever comes first. The Organisers reserve the right to re-open entry during 2024 to accept additional entries.
3.8

Only existing members of the Guild of Fine Food can enter Great Taste during Members’ Fortnight at the reduced rate. Membership must be valid for the duration of Members’ Fortnight. Any companies wishing to apply for Guild of Fine Food membership in time to benefit from Members’ Fortnight for the next edition must have done so by Tuesday 2 January 2024.  It is not possible to join the Guild during Members’ Fortnight.
3.9 Food groups, networks or PR companies entering products on behalf of client(s) MUST enter each product under the Company profile of the producer. Users can be associated with multiple Company profiles if required. The entry system will automatically send all Great Taste correspondence about entries, deliveries and results to the user who made the entry. However, this point of contact can be changed to another user within the Company profile at a later date if required. The company turnover declared on entry must relate to the producer (last filed accounts), not to the Food Group, network or PR company.
3.10 Product entry details must be correct when the entry cap is reached, and entries closed. There will be no opportunity to edit the product entry details after the entry period closes. Only in extreme circumstances will amendments to product entry details be made, and only at the discretion of the Great Taste Organisers. This would not extend to a substitute to a completely different product than that entered.
3.11 The list of ingredients provided on the entry form may be shared with the judging panel in some circumstances. Include all ingredients and avoid commercially sensitive details.
3.12 No entry will be accepted AFTER the entry cap is reached.
3.13 Products may only be entered in ONE category per year. It is not permitted to enter the same product in multiple categories. Please refer to point 10.9 regarding a product sold under more than one brand name.
3.14 Enter products into the free-from categories if the product is marketed as such.
3.15 The Organisers may check your product description and amend or remove nonfactual information, if applicable.
3.16 Entries that do not include full entry information before payment, with any sections left as TBC (or similar) will be automatically disqualified.
3.17 Entries made by a Company on behalf of a producer must obtain permission from the producer before entering their product.
3.18 Reselling of entry spaces by third parties is not permitted, unless given express permission by the Organisers.

4.1 Payment by credit/ debit card, in full, is required when entering online. Entry fees not paid in full before the entry cap is reached will result in products not being judged.
4.2 There will be NO REFUND given if a product needs to be WITHDRAWN from the judging process after an entry has been paid for. However, if you contact the office BEFORE entries close, the Organisers may be able to accept an alternative product in its place. No product details can be edited or changed by the entrant after the entry period closes. Please refer to point 3.10.
4.3 The entry cost into Great Taste is kept to a minimum to attract genuine small producers and new artisan producers.
4.4 Mass produced & manufactured products are not encouraged, and a higher entry fee is charged to products entered by multiple retailers.

5.1 All products must be submitted for judging in their RETAIL PACKAGING where possible. The retail packaging must state
the Use By/ Best Before date and all ingredients and allergens.
5.2 All products are judged blind, exclusively on taste and flavour.
5.3 All products are DECANTED from original packaging prior to judging, to ensure blind-tasting.

6.1 A delivery date will be allocated to each product between late March and June. For operational purposes, the Organisers may choose to allocate split deliveries to a Company with a large number of entries. An email will be sent to the user selected to receive correspondence within the Company profile. This will be automatically set to the user who enters the products, unless changed afterwards within the Company profile. The email will advise of delivery dates and instructions.
6.2 It is the responsibility of the entrant to ensure the prompt and safe delivery of all products by the requested date for delivery and to adhere to all delivery instructions. The entrant must notify the Organisers of any products with a short shelf-life and contact the Organisers to arrange an alternative delivery date if required. Failure to do so may result in disqualification.
6.3 At the Organisers discretion, exceptions will be given only for products that are unavailable at the time of delivery due to seasonality.
6.4 Due to limited storage space, the Organisers cannot save packaging to be collected after delivery. Please use recyclable packaging wherever possible.
6.5 Please use the Box Label downloaded from MyGuild on all parcels to state clearly if product(s) need to be refrigerated or frozen and every entry MUST carry a Use By or Best Before date.
6.6 It is the entrants’ responsibility to ensure that all products are packed, transported and delivered in a condition fit and safe for consumption by the judges.
6.7 Any products arriving in a damaged or unsafe condition will be disqualified. This includes any product requiring refrigeration with no prior notification or poor labelling. Chilled or Frozen products received at the incorrect temperature will be rejected and the product(s)will need to be recalled and submitted again at the Company’s cost.
6.8 If a delivery slot is missed, an attempt will be made to judge products arriving after the allotted delivery date. However, this will be at the discretion of the Organisers. A maximum limit of 10 missed delivery slots per Company will be rescheduled in one year.
6.9 Entrants entering products that require cooking, re-heating or preparing in some form before judging must complete Kitchen instructions, which will form a part of the entry details for each product. Entrants will have the opportunity to access and edit the Kitchen instructions via their MyGuild account up until seven days before their scheduled delivery date, providing they have ticked the box at the time of entry to confirm that cooking or reheating is required. It is each entrant’s responsibility to ensure that the Kitchen instructions given for each product are accurate. In order to ensure parity and impartiality across the judging process, the Guild of Fine Food Ltd. will have final decision on how products are prepared and presented for judging.
6.10 Any customs/import charges applicable to the delivery of an entry must be paid by the entrant. If applicable, the Organisers will seek to reclaim any such charges incurred from the entrant. Failure to these charges may result in disqualification.
6.11 The Organisers are unable to make applications for an import licence for products not normally permitted for delivery to the UK. Entrants should check any import restrictions and delivery methods before entering Great Taste.
6.12 If there is a balance outstanding for the company payable to the Guild of Fine Food Ltd., their entries may not be called for delivery until payment is received and no refunds for entries will be given. If applicable after results are released, label and logo orders may not be processed until the balance is cleared.

7.1 Judging will take place between March and June. Judging locations will include Dorset and London (these are correct at the time of printing and may be subject to change). Please do not assume that your products will be judged at a location closer to your business.
7.2 The Organisers will take great care to ensure safe keeping of all entries throughout the judging process. However, the Organisers, their employees and associates cannot be held responsible for this safekeeping.
7.3 The Organisers will make every effort to cook and prepare your product(s) following the label guidelines or Kitchen instructions entered with the product. It is the responsibility of the entrant to ensure that relevant information is included in the Kitchen instructions supplied online at the point of entry or supplied via their MyGuild account at least seven days prior to the scheduled delivery date for that product.
7.4 No products can be returned to entrants unless prior arrangement has been made with the Organisers for collection immediately after the last session of judging on the day on which it is judged.
7.5 All 3-star products will be recalled and assessed by a further judging panel to establish the Golden Fork Award winners.

8.1 The results will be available online during the summer of the current award year.
8.2 An email alert from the Organisers will be sent out to each entrant as soon as the results have been edited and are ready to go live on MyGuild. Each user associated with a Company profile will be able to access that company’s results via their user account.
8.3 It is the entrants’ responsibility to look up their results and judges’ feedback on MyGuild.
8.4 Award-winners always will be displayed in the format entered into Great Taste by the entrant. This includes the name of the company, name of the product and the website & social media links. Entrants must ensure that all product details are provided correctly on entry to Great Taste.
8.5 The Golden Fork Award winners will be selected from the 3-star products and announced in Autumn of the current award year.
8.6 Award certificates will be available to download via MyGuild, giving entrants immediate access and enabling entrants to print their own copies or use certificates in a digital format on websites and other communications.
8.7 The Organisers may share winning entrants’ contact details, including telephone numbers or email addresses with carefully selected partners for the purposes of stocking winning products.
8.8 The Organisers may share Great Taste winners’ details and positive quotes from judges with relevant sponsors or media contacts for promotional purposes only. If you do not want your company details shared with third party organisations, please contact the Organisers to make this clear. The Organisers do not share results data with any other entrants in the award scheme, other than via the results information available on the public-facing website. As part of entering Great Taste, the Company agrees to the information provided in the “Public-facing information” section of their MyGuild company account to be made available on the public-facing website alongside results. The Organisers use Google Analytics to assess MyGuild data for its own purposes.
8.9 The Organisers will not share details of specific entries ahead of results or make public specific details of those who have entered, but not been awarded.
8.10 Feedback given for products that are given no award cannot be used out of context as positive testimonials without an accompanying statement saying that the product was not given an award. Partial feedback should also not be used in a way that could be in any way misleading to suggest a higher award than that which was achieved.
8.11 No entrant can claim or publish a comparative statement, e.g. «most awarded», «best», «greatest number of stars». Please note the Guild will not enter into any discussions on general comparisons or comparisons with other entrants.
8.12 If the product is changed in any way, permission for use of the award label or logo will be withdrawn and the product must be re-submitted to Great Taste. Any change that could potentially affect the product, including but not limited to: difference in production or manufacturing process, altered recipe, a significant seasonal impact on ingredients, alteration to ingredient quality, a change in source or type of ingredients and their treatment, would make the award void and the product should be resubmitted to Great Taste.

9.1 No specific information relating to the identity of any of the judges involved in sampling and judging will be revealed at any time.
9.2 Judges’ comments relating to each product are available to the company entering the product. Some judging comments for award-winning products may be used in PR by carefully selected retail and media partners.

10.1

Great Taste logo artwork and labels will be available to companies wishing to use them for promotional purposes. There may be a charge for the logo artwork depending on the company turnover stated on entry, and it is this company that must apply directly to the Organisers for the logo artwork using the Logo & Label online request system. The logo artwork charges for are as follows:
Company turnover (refers to the whole company, not to individual brand(s)) Cost for logo artwork:

-Turnover more than £5million: £1,925+VAT
-Turnover between £1-5million: £495+VAT
-Turnover less than £1million: Free
-Member companies with turnover over £5million: £1,925+VAT
-Member companies with turnover less than £5million that were members of the Guild of Fine Food on entering Great Taste* and whose membership remains current at the point of ordering the logo artwork for the same year: Free

Please see www.gff.co.uk for further information. *It is not permitted to join the Guild of Fine Food as a member to obtain free logo artwork. Membership must be current at the time of entering and remain current at the point of ordering labels and logos. Labels can only be purchased through the Guild of Fine Food and are not for resale.
10.2 The Great Taste logo is protected by trademark. Any misrepresentation will result in the award being withdrawn or disqualified.
10.3 Use of the Great Taste logo or labels must be in accordance with the most recently published brand guidelines relating to the current Great Taste artwork.
10.4 The logo must always include the year in which the award was obtained and the number of stars accredited, and may only be used on award winning products.
10.5 Use of the logo on any product that has not won an award is expressly forbidden.
10.6 In the case of ‘own label’ or ‘private label’ foods packaged under the name of another producer, retailer or distributor, the Great Taste logo may only be used on the packaging if the name of the original producer is clearly stated on the pack.
10.7 If a producer can provide sensible written evidence that a bagged tea/ ground coffee is consistent in every way with the equivalent product sold in a loose tea/coffee bean format, use of the relevant Great Taste award logo may be permitted on both formats at the Guild’s discretion.
10.8  Logos are permitted on mini casks and bottles taken home by consumers in a retail environment only. Logos are not permitted on pub kegs and pump clips
10.9 If the exact same product is sold under an alternative brand name, and this brand name was declared on the Great Taste entry form in the alternative names field, in the event of an award at the discretion of the Guild it may be permitted to use the award logo on these alternative brand names. The alternative names cannot be advised retrospectively.
10.10 If an award-winning product is changed in any way, permission for use of the award label or logo will be withdrawn and the product must be re-submitted to Great Taste. Any change that could potentially affect the product, including but not limited to: difference in product or manufacturing process, altered recipe, a change in source or type of ingredients and their treatment, would make the award void and the product should be re­submitted to Great Taste.
10.11 The Guild has the right to remove an award if a producer is prosecuted by a relevant authority for food or animal safety violation or from any Company deemed to be acting in an offensive, racist or harmful way or if the Company is deemed to have put the Organisers’ activities into disrepute in the opinion of the Organisers.
10.12 Applications for digital logo artwork can only be made by, and the artwork only sent to, the company that entered the award-winning product(s) into Great Taste.

11.1 Under no circumstances can the Guild of Fine Food Ltd. or its employees undertake discussion about judges’ comments.
11.2 Any dispute over the judging must be made in writing or by email to the Guild of Fine Food Ltd. within 14 days of the published results. Where applicable, an appeal form will be issued for completion by the entrant. At the discretion of the Organisers some of these products may be recalled for further assessment by an appeals panel. Products judged by the appeals panel will not be eligible for major awards, i.e. Golden Fork.
11.3 On all matters relating to Great Taste, the verdict of the judges/ appeals panel is final.

12.1 Entries that have not been fully paid, not submitted for judging by the correct date or submitted when not fit for judging, or subsequently disqualified for whatever reason, will not be refunded.
12.2  The Company is solely responsible for the delivery of entries, delivery and customs charges, taxes and insurance for all prod­ucts supplied.
12.3  The Company warrants that the products supplied are fit and for human consumption and has current public liability insurance for that product.
12.4 The Guild reserves the right to re-schedule the timetable for the supply and tasting of the products and of the events and announcements.
12.5 Great Taste has a limited number of entry slots each year, can­cellation is not possible.
12.6 In terms of the entrance fee, 50% of the total cost is in relation to registration of the Company and products together with the organisation for the tasting events. The other 50% of the entry cost is in relation to the tasting, feedback, and awards.