Black Isle coffee gurus Vandyke Brothers raise a cup to Great Taste Awards accolades
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A BLACK Isle business with a passion for coffee is toasting a trio of Great Taste Awards for its "exceptional" products.
Cromarty- based Vandyke Brothers has been named among the top food and drink producers globally this year for its specialty roasted coffee.
The independent coffee roastery just a stone’s throw from the Cromarty Firth sources a selected range of coffees from around the world, carefully roasting them to preserve the character and harness the flavour initially developed by the growers.
After winning an award last year, their first of entry, this year's trio of accolades include a prestigious 3 Star for its Colombia El Vergel Guava Banana and further stars for Tuesday and Tin Roof respectively.
Only 250 products out of over 14,000 won a 3 Star award.
Tony Vandyke said: “This is such exciting news for us. Great Taste is the most recognised accolade for taste and quality in the food and drink industry, so it’s a huge moment for us. These awards cover our entire offering so it says we’re doing something right, and doing so consistently.”
Guava Banana provides an enticing deep aroma and proved a great hit with the expert judges awarding it a prized 3 Stars. They commented: “Guava Banana is characterised by its funky ferment and fruit, which then translates onto the palate in a proper burst. There is definite chocolate in the mix, with some buttery biscuit notes that bring it all together in a long and lasting finish that is surprisingly bold. We get caramel, molasses, even a really boozy rum on the nose, with a very clean mouthfeel. Delicious.”
Tuesday was also a firm favourite with the judges: “We loved Tuesday. It is smooth and well-balanced, even and sophisticated with a beautiful colour and a rich crema. We enjoyed its full dark bitter chocolate backbone with a very clean and sweet uplift on the finish.”
Once again Tin Roof was recognised in this year’s Awards for its rounded blend with winey top notes and good length. Also, with chocolate in its character, Tin Roof delivers a good quality daily espresso to get the day off to a good start.
A Great Taste Award is 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: every product is removed from its packaging so it cannot be identified, before entering a robust, layered judging process. This year, judging took place with a panel of more than 500 judges putting the products to the test. The line-up included food and drink products submitted from 109 different countries across the world.
Tony Vandyke said: “Being recognised with Great Taste Awards means so much to independent producers such as myself, it makes all the hard work and determination worth it!”
Vandyke has a long association with the town of Cromarty; its appeal being the climate, the water and the people. He launched the business in 2016 when he set up his award-winning café providing fresh Vandyke Brothers Specialty coffee.
Over the years he has forged extensive relationships in the specialty coffee industry both in the UK and Australia. He loves exploring all elements of the specialty coffee world. He says he is committed to helping his wholesale customers develop by providing training and a service tailored to meet the specific needs of his customers.
