Clonakilty yogurt named among the top food and drink producers globally

IRISH Yogurts Clonakilty have been named among the top food and drink producers globally this year through the Great Taste 2023 accreditation scheme.

The Half Fat Crème Fraîche scooped a 3-star award earlier this month, and it has now been announced that it was one of the highest scoring products, meaning Irish Yogurts Clonakilty is now in the running to win a Great Taste Golden Fork, the highest accolades in the food and drink world.

14,195 products were put through the competition’s rigorous blind judging process, and the Cork product was described as having “rich, silky smooth textures” and “citrusy and bold” flavours.

The yogurt is made with farm fresh Irish milk, using a traditional ‘churn style’ recipe. The Half Fat Crème Fraîche was one of 5,904 products to receive a Great Taste award this year. Just over two of every five products received such an accolade.

Some 4,088 products were awarded a Great Taste 1-star, for ‘food and drink that delivers fantastic flavour’, with Irish Yogurts Clonakilty receiving four 1-star awards.

A further 1,568 were awarded a Great Taste 2-star, with Irish Yogurts Clonakilty claiming one 2-star accolade for being ‘above and beyond delicious’, and 248 were awarded a Great Taste 3-star for being labelled an ‘extraordinarily tasty food and drink’.

Diarmuid O’Sullivan, managing drector of Irish Yogurts Clonakilty, said: “We are beyond delighted to have won a 3-star Great Taste award for our Half Fat Crème Fraîche, and now a Golden Fork nomination also.

"A lot of hard work went into growing this business from one employee to now a team of 225 people. 

"Creating a great tasting product is paramount to what we do and the nomination for a Great Taste Golden Fork Award attests what we do as a company," he added. 

The Great Taste Golden Forks awards ceremony will be held at Battersea Arts Centre in London on Monday, September 11.