20/08/2026
THE GREAT TASTE OF WEXFORD PRODUCED FOOD !
A host of Wexford Food Producers have secured top honors at the recently announced 2026 Great Taste Awards, led by Wexford Home Preserves winning a consecutive 3-Star Award and a Golden Fork nomination for their Wexford Blackcurrant Jam.
Recognised as a stamp of excellence, The Great Taste Awards accreditation scheme, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, values taste above all else.The annual awards sees a panel of judges - made up of chefs, restaurateurs, producers, critics, writers and journalists - invited to test a variety of products, each of which has been stripped of its packaging and branding.
This year, a variety of Irish businesses were celebrated, with each earning a 1-star, 2-star or 3-star listing.Following the announcement, a small number of this year's 3-star products were shortlisted from across the entire competition for the prestigious Golden Fork awards, recognising the very best food and drink in the world.This year, three products from Ireland have made the shortlist for a Golden Fork Ireland including Wexford Home Preserves based in New Ross for their Wexford Blackcurrant Jam.
The Wexford Food Producers Network are celebrating multiple star-winning successes at the 2026 Great Taste Awards for their members including including Wexford Home Preserves, Killowen Farm, ABP Irish Country Meats, Mór Taste, O’Neills Dry Cure Bacon, Scúp Gelato, Isle of Crackers and Saltrock Dairy all taking home awards.
Enniscorthy based Killowen Farm were awarded 4 separate 2026 Great Taste Awards for their farm-crafted yogurts and cream cheeses produced using milk from their family-run dairy herd.
ABP Irish Country Meats based in Camolin, Co.Wexford secured a total of 12 stars across 7 different entries for their exceptional consumer lamb ranges.
Wexford producer O'Neills Dry Cure Bacon Co. has consistently secured prestigious stars at the Great Taste Awards. This year they achieved 2 Great Taste Stars for their Dry Cured Oak Smoked Streaky Rashers. Judges praised their beautiful caramelisation, excellent marbling, balanced cure, and expertly judged smoking. The critical acclaim behind the brand relies on a traditional, clean approach to meat curing.Unlike commercial wet-cured options, they do not inject water. This prevents the bacon from shrinking or producing white white froth in the frying pan.They rub 100% Irish pork by hand using a unique family recipe and natural sea salt. This process results in 30% less salt content than standard wet-cured alternatives.Because no extra water is trapped inside the meat, chemical stabilizers like phosphates are entirely omitted.
Wexford based Scúp Gelato were recognised with 3 separate stars for three of their Wexford produced handmade ice creams and sorbets. Scúp Gelato has established itself as one of Ireland’s most decorated luxury gelato brands in the Great Taste award's history. Scúp Gelato reached the absolute pinnacle of the event when their Frozen Natural Yogurt won the Great Taste Golden Fork Award in 2022. Scúp Gelato was then named the overall best product from Ireland out of more than 14,000 blind-tasted entries globally.
Wexford based Mór Taste has won three separate 2026 Great Taste Awards for their low-sugar, high-fruit artisan jams.Mór Taste Raspberry Jam, Cherry Jam and Rhubarb & Vanilla Jam all received recognition.
Gorey based Saltrock Dairy received a prestigious 2-star Great Taste Award for their Saltrock Cultured Farmhouse Butter.Their regular Salted Butter also earned a 1-star award with high praise from the judges for it’s smooth and creamy texture.
Isle of Crackers, an Artisan Bakery based in Co.Wexford, has also received recognition at the 2026 Great Taste Awards.Their black olive flaxseed cracker, cranberry cracker and sesame seed cracker varieties have earned distinction and gold-star ratings in these international food and drink accolades. Isle of Crackers Artisan Bakery is celebrated for its small-batch, slow-baked approach. Every cracker is handmade using locally sourced, premium Irish ingredients, including:Cold-pressed rapeseed oil from Wicklow, locally milled Irish flour, nutrient-dense flax and sesame seeds.
SuperValu Signature Tastes was a Great Taste Award Winner for their ‘SuperValu Signature Tastes Wexford Rhubarb Yogurt, produced utilizing local Wexford ingredients.
The Wexford Food Producers Network was founded in 2011 and provides a centralised member led and member representative organisation with a core remit to promote and support the business of Wexford Food and Drink.
The organisation has over fifty members who are Wexford based Sole Traders, Micro Enterprises, SME’s and Large companies. Their continued aim is to support Wexford Food and Drink producers, to build a sustainable food industry and to contribute significantly to the Irish economy on a local, regional, national and international level through the export markets.
The Wexford Food Producers Network has a Business Partnership category of professional affiliation which allows companies who want to support and align with Wexford’s Food and Drink production sector, to join the network.
The Wexford Food Producers Network is recognised and supported by Wexford County Council, Local Enterprise Office Wexford and Wexford Local Development.
The Wexford Food Producers Network engages with County Wexford Chamber, Visit Wexford and Failte Ireland on an annual basis to support the development and promotion of Wexford’s Food & Drinks sector.
FBD Insurance is the ‘Preferred Insurance Partner’ of The Wexford Food Producers Network.
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Laura and Tom Sinnott, Wexford Home Preserves.
Image Accreditation: Mary Browne Photography New Ross
Local Enterprise Office Wexford Wexford County Council Wexford Food Producers Network Wexford Local Development FBD Insurance South East Radio Gorey GuardianNew Ross StandardWexford People Enniscorthy Guardian Wexford Home Preserves O'Neills Bacon Saltrock Dairy Scúp Gelato Isle of Crackers, Artisan Bakery Killowen Farm