The FreeFrom Food Awards are now in their seventh successful year, and are the industry’s only award for ‘freefrom food’ – gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soya-free, and more. Chefs and food service professionals would do well to examine this year’s winners, which could prove a fruitful source of ideas, and inspiration (as could the FreeFrom Eating Out Awards later this year – see below) – or even supply.
In an ever growing sector (the ‘freefrom’ food market is predicted to top the half billion pound mark by 2017), the FreeFrom Food Awards celebrate excellence and innovation in the field – and there was certainly plenty of both on show at this year’s awards, as a gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soya-free authentic Italian Focaccia walked off with the top prize!
An excited crowd of nearly 300 ‘freefrom’ food manufacturers, suppliers and supporters gathered at the Royal College of Physicians in Regents Park on 25 March to watch Antony Worrall Thompson award Anni Reid of Focaccia per Tutti with ‘Marble Mo’, the ultimate accolade for ‘freefrom food’ at the annual FreeFrom Food Awards.
‘So many good products, and right across the food spectrum from staples to exotica,’ said Michelle Berriedale-Johnson, director of the awards. ‘From freefrom supermarket bread to raw maca powder and coconut frozen yogurt to gluten free beer brewed from sorghum – there are few areas of the food world where ‘freefrom’ has not now penetrated.’
Said Antony Worrall Thompson, long term patron of the awards:
‘It is so encouraging that every year the range and quality of the products entered for these awards improves, and improves so spectacularly. Most people would be hard pushed to tell that any of this year’s entries to the awards were ‘freefrom’ anything, they are that good!’
Overall Winner of the FAIR trophy for Best FreeFrom Food 2014
Focaccia Per Tutti Focaccia Mediterranea
‘Stunning! Ticks all of the freefrom boxes and yet looks – and tastes – like an authentic and delicious focaccia. How did she do it!’ ‘Excellent aroma, good crust and lovely classic Mediterranean flavours – olives, garlic, tomatoes, rosemary.’ ‘Fantastic that it is free of all allergens except nuts.’ ‘Really filling a gap in the market – love it! Want more!’ ‘A worthy winner in terms of both innovation and quality.’
Runners Up
Amy’s Kitchen Broccoli and Cheddar bake
‘Visually appealing, lovely taste and texture. All elements work well together – a very, very good product.’ ‘Excellent. Good al dente pasta, lovely al dente green broccoli, well flavoured sauce and great crunchy top. What’s not to like?!’
Bessant & Drury Raspberry swirl frozen yogurt
‘The best coconut product I have tasted – lovely mouthfeel and raspberry flavour comes through well.’ ‘Excellent freefrom qualities and good live cultures – very tasty.’ ‘Fab dairy free, fab texture, fab taste!!’
Tesco Free From fresh seeded bread
‘Excellent everyday loaf – good texture, lovely seeds and a better ingredients list than most!’ ‘Light, tasty and really hard to believe that it is gluten free.’ ‘Really good seeded loaf – perfect for sandwiches.’
Waitrose Gluten free egg watercress and chicken salad roll
‘Look wonderful – great lookalike for a normal filled roll.’ ‘Very good product – great to see a vending product of this nature – faultless innovation.’ ‘Fresh and well executed – what a treat – and in a mainstream outlet too!’
Special Award for services to gluten-free beer 2014
Green’s IPA
The judges decided to make this award both because of the contribution to the development of gluten-free beer that Green’s have made over the last five years – and because of the quality of this year’s category winner, their India Pale Ale.
The brewers amongst the judges were amazed that Green’s had been able to create a first class, quality ale from sorghum alone with no addition of barley; the ‘lay’ beer-loving judges just loved it as a beer!
The Innovation Award – Sponsored by Food Matters Live
Winner:
Venice Bakery large seasoned gluten-free vegan pizza base
Highly Commended:
Celtic Chocolates Choices rondellos
Commended:
Newburn Bakehouse Seeded wraps
Udi’s Cinnamon & raisin bagel
1. Breakfast foods – Sponsored by Tesco
Winners:
Bfree plain bagels
COYO Coconut milk yoghurt vanilla flavor
Primal Joy Foods Cinnamon nut crunch – no grains breakfast ‘cereal’
Highly Commended:
Bessant & Drury Alphonse mango & passionfruit coconut yogurt
Bessant & Drury Morello cherry & Madagascan vanilla coconut yogurt
Bfree multiseed bagels
Perkier Apple, cinnamon & raisin porridge
Tobia Teff Teff meal / Teff flakes
Udi’s Cranberry walnut granola
Commended:
Hale & Hearty Quinoa & chocolate granola
Lucy Bee Organic raw virgin fair trade extra virgin coconut oil
Nature’s Path Nice & Nobbly organic granolas (raspberry, strawberry, blueberry & yoghurt pieces)
Of The Earth Dear Me breakfast without cereals, chia & hemp with goji berries & cranberries
St Helen’s Farm Natural goats milk yoghurt
2. Breads – Sponsored by Genius Gluten Free
Winner:
Focaccia Per Tutti Focaccia Mediterranea
Tesco Free From fresh seeded bread
Highly Commended:
Bfree multigrain wrap
Newburn Bakehouse Spiced fruit loaf
Tobia Teff Teff bread
Commended:
Bfree brown seeded rolls
3. Store cupboard – sponsored by Asda
Winners:
Ugg Foods Chia seed and nut bread mix
Vegusto ‘Cheese’ sauce
Highly Commended:
Conscious Food Palmyra jaggery powder
Lucy Bee Organic raw virgin fair trade extra virgin coconut oil
Quinola Express quinoa – pearl and black
Truly Simple Foods Sundried tomatoes and sweet chilli cooking sauce
Ugg Foods Chia muffin mix
Commended:
Hale & Hearty Chocolate chip cookie mix
Helen’s Quick seeded bread mix
Truly Simple Foods Coconut curry and spinach cooking sauce
Ugg Foods Coconut muffin mix
Ugg Foods Fruit and seed loaf
4. Pasta and Pizza – Sponsored by the Food and Drink Innovation Network
Winner:
Amy’s Kitchen Broccoli and cheddar bake
Highly Commended:
Dell’Ugo Gluten free fresh penne pasta
Elena’s Gluten Free Way DialSì gluten free pasta tagliatelle
Elena’s Gluten Free Way DialSì gluten free pasta caserecce
The Lab Pizza Genovese
Rizopia Organic brown rice pasta spaghetti
Venice Bakery Large plain gluten free & vegan pizza base
Commended:
Hale & Hearty Brown rice penne
Hale & Hearty Corn & quinoa penne
5. Raw Foods and superfoods – Sponsored by Food Heaven
Winner:
SaVse Smoothies Super blue
Highly Commended:
Lucy Bee Organic raw virgin fair trade extra virgin coconut oil
Ombar Coco mylk
Commended:
Creative Nature Organic raw maca powder
Love Smoothies The hulk smoothie
6. ‘Food to go’ and food for vending machines – Sponsored by 24Vend
Winner:
Waitrose Gluten free egg watercress and chicken salad roll
Highly Commended:
Great Food Spinach & pinenut with houmous – snack pack
Hotch Potch Eggs Arancini
Commended:
Clearspring Organic brown rice crackers with black sesame
Creative Nature Heavenly cacao superfood bar
Creative Nature Blissful berry superfood bar
Freeli Wowbutter brownie
The FreeFrom Bakehouse Chocolate ‘digestive’ biscuits
LoveRaw Organic bar – cacao & maca
Udi’s Bagel chips
7. Foods designed for food service – Sponsored by Genon Laboratories
Winners:
The Indian Coeliac Gluten free authentic Panjabi pakoras
We Love Cake Gluten free cherry Bakewell tarts
Highly Commended:
Delicious Alchemy Mini ginger loaf
Hotch Potch Eggs Tiddlee pies & tarts
Pan’Artisan 10” gluten free pizza base, Italian spiced
Commended:
Delicious Alchemy Wheat & gluten free sultana scones
Newburn Bakehouse White wraps
8. Ready Meals
Meat-based meals – Sponsored by Sainsbury’s
Winner:
Ilumi Lamb Rogan Josh
Highly Commended:
The Black Farmer Chipolatas
Voakes Free From steak pie
Commended:
Foodamentalists Fidget pie
Tesco Gluten free breaded pollock
The Black Farmer Premium pork sausages
Tom Hixson & Co Pork & herb sausages
Meat-free meals: Sponsored by Goodness Direct
Winner:
Georgia’s Choice Gluten Free Mexican bean bake
Highly Commended:
Amy’s Kitchen Thai red curry
Mash Direct Potato, cheese & onion croquettes
Commended:
FEEL FREE For Gluten Free Vegetarian Party Pack
9. Foods manufactured in a nut-free environment – Sponsored by Anaphylaxis Campaign
Winner:
Ilumi Kerala chicken curry
Highly Commended:
Big Oz Organic chocolate buckwheat flakes with raspberries
Just Love Food Co Angry Birds celebration cake
10. Foods designed for children – Sponsored by Delamere Dairy
Winner:
Georgia’s Choice Gluten Free chicken bites
Highly Commended:
Fun Foods4All Bob the Builder organic free from pasta
Incognito Cakes Cheeky little monkey cake mix
Smooze Mango fruit ice
Sweet Mandarin Sweet chilli sauce
Commended:
Moo Free mini moo minty moo
Young’s Seafood Ltd ‘The Ultimate’ 100% Alaskan pollock fillet fish finger
11.Foods for Christmas – Sponsored by Hale & Hearty
Winner:
D&D Chocolates Dairy free chocolate minty snowmen
Highly Commended:
Voakes Free From special pie
Commended:
Sainsbury Freefrom Advent calendar
12. Scones, sweet biscuits and cookies – Sponsored by Mrs Crimbles
Winners:
Nairn’s Gluten free biscuit breaks: oats & fruit
Highly Commended:
DS-gluten free Bourbon biscuits
Commended:
Asda Free-from Belgian chocolate rocky road
13. Cakes, cake bars, cupcakes and brownies – Sponsored by Newburn Bakehouse
Winner:
Melsie Jane Bakes Mini lemon drizzle loaf
Highly Commended:
The Handmade Cake Company Chocolate brownie
The Handmade Cake Company Raspberry & almond slice
Commended:
Morrisons Free from raspberry macaroon slices
14. NEW! After dinner foods – Sponsored by Udi’s
Winners:
Bessant & Drury Raspberry swirl frozen yogurt
Pudology Banoffee pud
Highly commended:
Booja-Booja Almond caramel chocolate truffles
Christine’s Puddings Sticky toffee pudding
Okobay Coconut water and pineapple ice
Pudology Chocolate orange pud
Rude Health Corn thins
St Helen’s Farm Goat’s milk vanilla ice cream
Wellaby’s Hummus chips Kalamata olive
Commended:
Booja-Booja Hunky Punky chocolate ice cream alternative
Celtic Chocolates Choices rondellos
Eskal Noble Choice dairy free chocolate with raspberries
Food Heaven Smooth chocolate mousse
Nairn’s Gluten free wholegrain cracker
Semper Rosemary & salt crispbread
15. Gluten-free beers – Sponsored by Ilumi
Winner:
Green’s India Pale Ale
Highly Commended:
CELIA Organic Gluten Free Lager
Estrella Daura Damm
Commended:
Green’s Premium Pilsner
St Peter’s Brewery G-free
For full details on these Awards click here
The FreeFrom Eating Out Awards
The awards have been launched to raise awareness of the huge opportunities offered by ‘freefrom’ food within the food service sector, especially once the new allergen regulations affecting food service come into force in December 2014. Coeliac UK estimate that the untapped gluten-free market in the UK alone is currently worth well over £100 million.
For more information click here