Kent fruit growers battle for taste prize

The Taste of Kent Awards 2014 organised by Produced in Kent has begun, with the announcement of the winners of the brand new Garden of England Champions – Soft Fruit and Cherries category which was judged at the National Cherry and Soft Fruit Show at the Kent Show, Friday 12 July.

Judged on taste by both professionals from the industry and members of the public the winners are:

Cherries – Elverton Farms (Johnson family), Faversham for their Merchant cherries

Strawberries – A. Brooks, Langton Manor Farm, Faversham for the Jubilee variety

Raspberries – Newmafruit, Chartham, Canterbury for the Glen Ample variety

Stephanie Durling at Produced in Kent comments: “We would like to congratulate the winners and all the entrants and whilst the fruit all looked fantastic on display, it all came down to taste to decide the winners. Kent is renown for producing excellent fruit and these awards aim to showcase those producers who produce for flavor as well as looks.”

Chairman of the National Cherry and Soft Fruit Show Paul Kelsey comments: “For over eighty years, The National Cherry and Soft Fruit Show has been exhibiting the very best cherries and soft fruits. The NCSFS is delighted that Produced in Kent has chosen to celebrate the fantastic fruit of Kent and we are proud to be associated with the Taste of Kent Awards.”

Winners will formally receive their award at the Taste of Kent Awards Gala dinner next spring, presented by East Malling Research.

The Garden of England Champions – Soft Fruit and Cherries category is sponsored by East Malling Research. Prof. Peter Gregory, Chief Executive of East Malling Research, comments "With a centenary of experience in research towards sustainable production of superior, fresh fruit products, EMR are delighted to be sponsoring this new category in the Taste of Kent Awards, involving key summer fruits in EMR’s portfolio. It reflects EMR’s acknowledgement of the importance of quality to consumers and the benefits to freshness, nutritional value and food security, that local and regional sourcing can bring".

The Taste of Kent Awards has been running since 2004 and is recognized as the outstanding annual showcase of Kent food and drink. The Awards promote a wide range of categories and are open to all food and drink businesses across Kent.

The campaign begins each year with the commencement of public voting between September and early January which in the 2013 Awards, generated nearly 14,500 votes and has been increasing year on year, clearly demonstrating that more and more consumers are buying Kent products and are interested in supporting local businesses.