The Staffordshire-based Packington Free Range brand has been awarded three highly sought after Great Taste stars. The Mercer family’s free-range pork stood out for the judges, with their Pork Loin awarded one Great Taste star, and Packington Free Range Pork Shoulder getting two stars.
Organised by the Guild of Fine Food, Great Taste rewards producers on flavour and quality and is aimed at helping consumers differentiate between the norm and the extra-special food products on the market.
This year Great Taste saw nearly 10,000 entries, but the judging panel recognised the quality of the Packington Free Range products within these entries. Praise from the judges included, “The meat is moist and juicy and has a pleasant long-lasting flavour” and the accolade that “one judge was not a pork eater at all, but could be converted.”
Packington Free Range joint MD, Alec Mercer, said that as the most recognised food award in the country, the Great Taste gold stars were something he had always aimed for.
“The feedback we received was wonderful,” he added, “and next year we hope to come home with a few more stars to add to the collection.”
Packington Free Range produce is sold in prestigious farm shops and butchers across the country, and via Ocado’s online store.