On May 25th with a little sourdough in tow, Amelia left for Dorset in the early hours of the morning to ensure that little loaf was ready for judging at 11am.
It is with great pleasure that we can tell you that the little sourdough loaf from Southwell was awarded with not only a GREAT TASTE AWARD but a TWO STAR GREAT TASTE AWARD.
Achieving a 2 star Great Taste Award for bread, especially sourdough, is considered a significant achievement in the artisan baking world. Here's why...
- Only 10% of all products entered into the Great Taste Awards receive 2 stars.
- A two star raiting means the product is judged to be 'above and beyond delicious' by a panel of independent food experts, chefs, critics, buyers, and food writers.
- In bread, this translates to exceptional crumb, crust, flavour complexity, fermentation, structure, and balance - all without any additives or enhancers.
Its hard for bread, especially sourdough to achieve these high level markers due to...
- Freshness. Bread is judged days after it's baked - and unlike cheese or chocolate, it doesn't age gracefully. Judges are trained to account for that, but it's still a challenge.
- There's no place to hide. With sourdough there are no shortcuts. A good loaf reflects starter health, flour quality, skilful fermentation and shaping and over mastery.
- Consistency is required and judges taste blindly. For a 2-star, multiple judges must independently agree that the product exceeds expectations. That takes consistent excellence.
- The Great Taste Awards attract thousands of bread entries across many categories - the bar is very high and subtle flaws can knock a product down.
- All judging is blind. No brand names, packaging or presentations are seen by the judges. It's entirely about the flavour and texture.
Getting two stars for a sourdough load isn't just hard - it's a badge of real skill, patience and product integrity. A 2 star sourdough means the judges really noticed it among thousands of entries.
We are beyond proud of our Little Brunette Bakery team for achieving this amazing accolade.
If you would like to try our delicious Sourdough for yourself. Pop in to store and pick one up or place your order here.