A self-taught chocolatier has won an independent food award for a range of her products.

Bicester based self-taught chocolatier Samantha Moorghen trading as Mumma’s Kitchen Delights, has been named among the top food and drink producers globally this year, picking up a highly prized 1-star Great Taste award for three of her handmade chocolate products.

Ms Moorghen’s Rose Shards, Rum and Raisin Bites and Mumma’s Boozy Christmas Puds were selected.

More than 14,000 products were put through the competition’s rigorous blind judging process.

4,078 products were awarded a Great Taste 1-star, which is described as “food and drink that delivers fantastic flavour”, 1,237 were awarded a Great Taste 2-star “above and beyond delicious” and 241 were awarded a Great Taste 3-star “extraordinarily tasty food and drink.”

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Ms Moorghen said: “We are delighted to have won a Great Taste award for our Rose Shards, Mumma’s Boozy Christmas Puds and our Rum and Raisin Bites.

“I am so proud to be adding the iconic black and gold Great Taste logo to these products.

“I launched my business in February 2021, after leaving my job as an accountant in December 2020.

“I was one of the many people who struggled through the pandemic and I took refuge in my ‘happy place’, the kitchen, and became fully immersed in my affection for confection, sending to family and friends as gifts.

“I was overwhelmed with the positive feedback from them, I decided to expand my chocolate delights beyond my own family and start my chocolate business online and at my local market in Bicester Town.

“Being recognised with a Great Taste 1-star means so much to independent producers such as myself, as it makes all the hard work and determination worth it.

“Great Taste is the most recognised accolade for taste and quality in the food and drink world, so it really is a big win.”

Recognised as a stamp of excellence and actively sought out by food lovers and retailers alike, Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, values taste above all else.

All products in the line-up for judging are blind tasted – they are removed from their packaging so they cannot be identified, before entering a robust, layered judging process.

This year, the judging took place over 90 days across two judging locations, Dorset and London, with a panel of more than 500 judges.

This year’s line-up saw food and drink products submitted from 110 different countries across the world.

All of Ms Moorghen’s products are available from the company’s website: www.mummaskitchendelights.co.uk and at Bicester Friday Market and Buckingham Town Tuesday Market.

 

Read more from this author

This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1

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