Iceland Foods and KK Fine Foods received prestigious Retail Product of the Year and Foodservice Product of the Year honors, respectively, during the British Frozen Food Federation’s (BFFF) Annual Gala Dinner Dance event which was hosted at the London Hilton on Park Lane hotel on June 7.
The competition attracted entries from across the industry, with the overall winners being selected from 13 categories across both the retail and foodservice categories, which included Best Main Course, Best New Pizza, Best New Meat-Free Product, and Best New Poultry-Based Product.
Iceland Foods won the Retail Product of the Year award for its Luxury Triple Dipped Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sticks. Consumers applauded the combination of flavors and textures and branded it as brilliant “value for money.”
The retail awards are unique in that the winners are judged by panels of independent consumers from across the United Kingdom who mark the products for appearance, taste, innovation, packaging, preparation instructions, likelihood of purchase and value for money.
In the foodservice awards, KK Fine Foods’ Gluten Free Butternut Squash, Brie, Beetroot & Truffle Infused Oil Tart was crowned Foodservice Product of the Year. The gluten-free entry was described as “tasty, light, crispy, well-seasoned” and with a “very good, interesting filling.”
The Frozen Food Awards are well respected throughout the catering industry as all the entries are impartially judged by representatives of the prestigious Craft Guild of Chefs, who, as executive chefs, catering managers and recipe developers, are expert in their field and uncompromising in their assessments of the entries.
Commenting on the winners, John Hyman, BFFF chief executive, said:
“The Product Awards celebrate new product development excellence and innovation that continuously drives the frozen food industry to be the dynamic and developing sector that it is. The standard of entries we received was exceptional and it was really encouraging to see how many companies put products forward, which serves as a sign of the confidence they have in their products. In their 31st year, the Annual Product Awards proves that frozen food is still at the top of its game when it comes to innovation, which will only help the industry grow further and reach the £10 billion target we’re aiming for.”
A complete listing of category winners follows:
Retail Sector
Best Poultry-Based Product
Lemon and Black Pepper Chicken Fettuccine by Iceland Foods Ltd.
Best New Fish-Based Product
Specially Selected Carb & Crayfish Salmon Mac ’n Cheese by Aldi Stores Ltd.
Best New Vegetable-Based Product (joint Gold award)
Vegetable Chips by Aunt Bessie’s Ltd.
Frozen Tenderstem Broccoli by TSA International Ltd.
Best New Meat-Based Product
Lidl, What’s Cooking? Macaroni Cheese with Kale and Pancetta by Laila’s Fine Foods Ltd.
Best New Pizza, Savouries and Savoury Bread Product
Co-Op Mediterranean Vegetable Pizza by Freiberger UK Ltd.
Best New Ice Cream/Dessert/Confectionery Product
Luxury Triple Dipped Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sticks by Iceland Foods Ltd.
Foodservice Sector
Best New Starter/Buffet/Appetizer Product
Quality Cuisine Somerset Brie and Blueberry Chutney Tart by Bidfood
Best New Accompaniment/Potato/Vegetable Product
Cool’eaze Red Pepper and Rosemary by Daregal Gourmet Ltd.
Best New Main Course/Meal Centre Product
M&J Bistro Hand Battered MSC Cod Fillets by Brakes
Best New Meat-Free/Vegetarian Product
Aromatic Garden Burger by Paramount 21 Ltd.
Best New Multi-Portion Product
Turkey Ballotine by Brakes
Best New Bakery/Pastries Product
Gluten Free Butternut Squash, Brie, Beetroot & Truffle Infused Oil Tart by KK Fine Foods
Best New Ice Cream/Dessert/Confectionery Product
Premium Selection Individual Truffle Torte with a Gold Shimmering Profiterole by Bided
