Baltic producers will battle it out for the second food quality title of “The Baltic Taste Award” competition
The second food quality competition, The Baltic Taste Award 2024, will take place during the largest Baltic food industry trade fair Riga Food 2024 at the Ķīpsala International Expo Centre on 5 September. Producers from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia were asked to submit their flagship products for the evaluation by the professionally-acclaimed jury members who will select the winners.
The Baltic Taste Award is a competition that praises Baltic food products of excellent quality and supports international promotion of the best among them. It also helps manufacturers gain additional visibility for their brand and individual products, and may also lead to fruitful partnerships with catering professionals and other food producers.
“Baltic Taste Awards is a competition that big and small Baltic food manufacturers, farmers and producers of home-made products can use to anonymously submit their products for professional review, and after tasting, get an impartial feedback and opinion, as well as valuable comments and recommendations on possible improvements. Winners will also be promoted in Baltics and other markets in a supported campaign,” Svetlana Riškova, President of Bocuse d’Or Latvia, says.
All samples of competition products will be displayed in Ķīpsala on 6-7 September. In foyer, anyone who visits the fair, including media and other professionals, will be able to see the competition products.
Any producer from the Baltic countries (Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia) can take part in the competition to showcase their top-quality produce. According to Dmitri Demjanov, President of Bocuse d’Or Estonia, it is also a great way to represent your country. “Estonia’s untamed nature that is turned into a refined taste with our own hands is definitely worth experiencing. So, everyone should come to Riga Food and experience The Baltic Taste Award 2024 competition,” he says.
Industry experts who are looking for high-grade products and top-shelf products and raw materials from the Baltics are also keen to attend the prestigious competition. “We, the people working in the catering industry, heavily rely on products with good quality and taste characteristics, and we constantly search for Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian products that we could use to create gourmet menus,” Darius Katinas, President of Bocuse d’Or Lithuania, says.
Show your best products to the world and enter “The Baltic Taste Award” competition
Any food manufacturer officially registered in one of the Baltic countries, whose products are sold in stores, can take part in the international competition “The Baltic Taste Award”. Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian food producers can submit their best-selling, top-ranking and tastiest products for “The Baltic Taste Award 2024” competition until 22 August 2024. Entry fee for one product is €90 until 23 June, and €130 from 24 June until 30 August.
Manufacturers can submit products in the following categories:
1) Milk and dairy products, eggs (incl. goat and sheep milk products)
2) Meat products (incl. raw meat)
3) Fish products (incl. raw fish)
4) Products from berries, fruit and vegetables (incl. sweets, chocolate, nuts)
5) Bread and corn products
6) Honey
7) Non-alcoholic beverages (incl. water, juices, coffee, tea)
8) Fermented drinks (beer, wine, fortified wine, cider)
9) Alcoholic drinks
10) Vegan products
11) Semi-processed food and prepared meals
Jury
Entries will be judged by and international jury comprised of well-renowned chefs and sommeliers. Jury will strictly adhere to the same criteria, evaluating the look, structure, smell and taste of a product. Food technology experts will also use an additional criteria – compliance with manufacturing standards. Winner in each of the categories will get a title, certificate and the coveted Baltic Taste Award 2024 medal that can be used to label products and proudly display on the packaging. This year judges will also pick three overall winners who will receive platinum medals and the title of Best Baltic Product 2024.
First-year winners
Last year the jury of the food quality competition evaluated 102 different food competition entries in 10 categories: bread and corn products; milk and dairy products; meat and meat products; fish and fish products; honey; products from berries, fruit and vegetables, including sweets, chocolate and nuts; non-alcoholic beverages; fermented drinks; alcoholic drinks; vegan products. International jury specifically praised the excellent quality of Baltic fishery products, Baltic dairy and meat products and traditional types of honey, jams and bread. The highest acclaim and gold medal was given to 13 competition entries, 11 products won silver medals and bronze went to 15 products entered into competition.
13 top-rated products:
• “Sudrablīnis” and its exquisite natural trout caviar
• “LĪCIS-93” and their traditional sprats in oil
• “Royal Nordic” and their Queen Harbour cold-smoked salmon fillet and salmon jerky. Award-winning products are made of from high-quality chilled Atlantic salmon fillets from Norway
• “PŪRE” and their blueberry and organic blueberry jam created by chef Dace Ersta
• “SunBears” alcoholic beverage “Lāču piens – Apelsīns” created by Māris Pāvilsons
• “Smiltenes piens” and their Smiltene Cheese (50 %) which was created to mark the 100th anniversary of Smiltene
• Alda Hāne and her Linden honey that was collected in the fragrant meadows of Pullēni apiary
• “Tallegg” and their grapefruit and carbonated water-pickled chicken fillet barbecue meat (recipe by Tiina Stint)
• “Airene” and their brand “Brūzilu liellops” with high-quality aged T-bone steak, a beef cut from the sirloin
• “Foxy’s Bake Shop” and their vegan croissant created by chef Alexandre Monnot
• “Mantinga” and their dark Italian ciabatta enriched with Rye soaked in hydrochloric acid, rye malt powder and plant fibre
Baltic Taste Award is organised by Chefs’ Club and BT 1 International Expo Company.
