Bon Chocolatiers nominated for prestigious Great Taste award

Bon Chocolatiers, the artisan chocolate business run by Georgia Quealy and Daniel Linehan based in Tullamore, has been recognised with several awards by the Guild of Fine Food for the Great Taste 2024 competition.

One of their products, 'Truly Dark' received a three-star award, while their 'Emma Maher Art Collaboration' and 'Orange Choc Bar' products both received two-star awards.

As well as this, Bon Chocolatiers have also been nominated for a Golden Fork, an 'Oscar of the food and drink world' for their product 'Truly Dark'. The Great Taste Golden Fork winners – the best of the best – will be announced in an awards ceremony and tasting at Battersea Arts Centre in London on Tuesday, September 10.

Co-founder Daniel has said that everyone at Bon Chocolatiers “is absolutely over the moon.”

“We've been entering The Great Taste since day one, and while we've won other awards here and there, this one is amazing. This is a massive achievement for our company.”

“Less than 2% of companies get a three-star award. We work very hard, and there's not a lot of time to step back and see what you've done and what you've achieved. Yeah, we're over the moon.

“It's great for consumers as well to see the awards, to know that our products are good. It's great to get that appreciation.”

Nearly 3,500 companies from around the world entered Great Taste this year, between them offering 13,672 products for review. Each entry was meticulously blind-tasted by the Guild’s expert judging panel of over 500 food critics, chefs, recipe creators, buyers, retailers, and other specialists in the field of food and drink. Entries were analysed across 92 judging days, each receiving detailed feedback, whether or not they obtained an award.

Three stars are awarded to food and drink deemed 'extraordinarily tasty', and two stars are given out to those 'above and beyond delicious'.

John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food, said: “It’s hugely important to us at the Guild to inject some positivity into the speciality food & drink industry. Given the economic headwinds that both independent retailers and small & medium producers are facing, the announcement of the 2024 crop of Great Taste stars is now an annual fillip for us all.”

Other Offaly award winners include:

ÍON Oil

Bia Sol

Fox Covert Farm

Rudd's Fine Foods

Sons of Butchers