Yummy Yorkshire, the innovative ice cream producer from Delph House Dairy Farm near Denby Dale, has been awarded a prestigious Great Taste Award by the Guild of Fine Food.

The Great Taste Awards are acknowledged by producers, retailers and consumers as the definitive, independent benchmark for speciality food and drink and Yummy Yorkshire has scooped a gold star for its striking blueberry ice cream flavour.

The ice cream company run by husband and wife team Jeremy and Louise Holmes already has eight Ice Cream Alliance Awards under its belt as well as a three-star gold Great Taste Award for its Lou’s Liquorice flavour.

This year’s Great Taste Awards saw a total of 1,300 producers enter 6,017 speciality food and drink lines, which were blind tasted by over 300 independent experts comprising leading chefs, food writers and buyers.
Commenting on the win Jeremy said: “Winning a Great Taste Award is a major achievement for a small, family run business like ours as it is one of the most trusted benchmarks for fine food and drink. The awards are carried out in a totally un-biased way, and judged on taste and texture by genuine ‘foodies’, who give full credit where it’s due.

“We gained a lot of recognition and new customers following our 3 gold star win last year and are hoping this year’s award will have a similarly positive effect on the business.”

The Great Taste Award is Yummy Yorkshire’s seventh award in the past 12 months. The artisan ice cream producer was recently of awarded Food & Drink Producer of the Year in the 2010 Yorkshire Rural Awards and was also named Local Food Producer (Prepared Produce) of the year at The Mayor of Kirklees’ 2009/2010 Local Food Awards.

This follows several award wins last winter for the company’s innovative Lou’s Liquorice Ice Cream flavour, which was awarded not only best Dairy Product, but also the coveted Supreme Product of the Year at the 2009 annual deliciouslyorkshire Awards.

Yummy Yorkshire Ice Cream is part of the third generation Delph House Dairy Farm business located on the A629 between Huddersfield and Penistone. Since launching in 2007 over 50 different flavours of traditional, contemporary and seasonal ice cream have been created using the fresh milk and cream from Yummy Yorkshire’s own 150 strong Holstein herd.

The lucky winner and a friend will be flown to Dublin and put up at a luxurious hotel for two nights. They will be wined and dined each night and treated to an exclusive private tour of the legendary Cooley distillery. At the end of the tour they will even receive a personalised bottle of Tyrconnell malt whiskey as well as a bottle of the newly released Kilbeggan Distillery Reserve to take home.

There is no limit to the number of entries per person, with one free entry being given out with every single full-sized (70cl) bottle of Cooley Whiskey bought from www.masterofmalt.com. Don’t hang around though, because there are only 250 chances to enter.

The limited number of entries (just 250) means that anyone who enters will have an unusually high chance of winning and, unlike most competitions, even if more people enter, that chance doesn’t reduce. Because of this, the draw is likely to be fully subscribed long before the closing date.

Master of Malt are an award-winning Online Retailer and Independent Bottler of Whisky and other fine spirits. The Cooley whiskey competition forms part of Master of Malt’s 25th birthday celebrations and it will feature an exclusive private tour of Ireland’s only independent, Irish-owned whiskey distillery. The tour will culminate in a whiskey tasting and the winner will even receive a very special personalised bottle of Tyrconnell whiskey and a bottle of the newly released Kilbeggan whiskey – two malts which are held in high esteem amongst Irish whiskey connoisseurs.

The Cooley whiskey distillery has become well-known for its production of a number of Ireland’s most critically-acclaimed whiskeys; malts from the Tyrconnell range regularly score upwards of 94 points in the Jim Murray Whisky Bible (Jim describes whiskeys in this bracket as being “Superstar whiskies that give us all reason to live”!) In 2010, the Cooley distillery was even declared “Distillery of the Year” by Malt Advocate’s John Hansell who commented on the quality and variety of whiskeys made at the distillery, “In an era where hundreds of small distilleries are starting up across the globe, Cooley can be an inspiration to them all”.

To enter the Cooley competition, all participants must do is buy any full-sized (70cl) bottle of Cooley whiskey from Master of Malt before 6pm the 1st of August 2010 arrives or the 250 chances to win run out. The lucky winner will be named on of before the 7th August 2010.

Are you a part of a baking club or do you and a group of friends share a common interest in baking delicious treats?

Infinite Vision are developing a new television series for a major broadcaster about the delights of home baking. They are on the hunt for clubs set up by keen bakers or more informal groups of friends who like to meet up to share the joys of cooking yummy cakes and desserts. Selected baking clubs will get the opportunity to take part in a filmed masterclass with a renowned master patissier!

It’s a chance to spread the joys of baking with others and learn new skills at the same time!

They are looking for all ages and abilities so why not get in touch to find out more. Email:- baking@infinitevision.tv you need to tell them about your group: where you’re based, how often you meet and what you like to bake.

Picota cherries are available for just a few short weeks (their season runs from mid-June through to August) so you have to be quick to endulge! Last year the Picota Cherry And Manchego ‘tapas’ Salad was a huge flavoursome hit.

This year perhaps chef Rowley Leigh via this video can entice to try out other dishes…

For a number of years now Château Lavergne in the Bordeaux region of South-West France has been building up a first class reputation hosting its popular cookery classes and wine-tastings. Now, owners Suzanne and Michel Bourdais have expanded this years programme to include tailor-made culinary holidays and tours, as well as introducing ‘food and wine coaching’ – a unique new concept for food lovers and the first of its kind in the area.

Situated in the delightful village of Bouliac and close to Bordeaux, the splendid 19th Century Château Lavergne is set in a 7 acre park and attracts visitors from all over the world to its relaxed and beautiful environment where they can discover, appreciate and learn about great French food and wine from the Bordeaux region.

Having already managed a vineyard over the years Suzanne along with her husband purchased the castle and from the outset decided to make Château Lavergne a real reference of food and wine in the region. Suzanne’s latest concept aims to bring food and wine coaching to visitors and holidaymakers who appreciate good food and wine but may not have the time or resources to find the best restaurants, hotels, vineyards or culinary gems in the area. Whether they are travelling alone or with a partner, or with a larger group of family and friends, Suzanne’s inside knowledge of the region will prove invaluable.

A typical client using this ‘culinary concierge’ style service would be staying in the Bordeaux area for around four days or so and would wish to discover the best restaurants, vineyards and hand-picked hotels best suited to their requirements as well discover the incredible Archachon Bay. For a small fee of 150 euros for 1 or 2 days, or 300 euros for 3-5 days Suzanne will provide a bespoke itinerary, make appropriate reservations and offer her unrivalled advice to make your stay truly unforgettable. These fees are for the entire group and not per person.

Château Lavergne is also offering culinary mini breaks which include accommodation in the château for one night. After breakfast participants are escorted to one of the region’s most beautiful outdoor markets before returning to the château for a superb hands-on cookery class given personally by Suzanne Bourdais. This is followed by lunch at the château and a wine tasting. Break’s cost 399 euros per person in a double room and 429 euros for single occupancy. The break can also be extended by an extra night for just 75 euros or 105 euros respectively. Extra dinner or lunch with wine for 40 euros.

For those visiting the Bordeaux area and wishing to take part in one of Château Lavergne’s ever popular cookery classes there is a great deal on offer for 2010. Classes start with a 2hr class dedicated to making French home cooking more accessible, understandable and enjoyable. This class is followed by lunch or dinner with wine tasting and costs 150 euros. Other longer classes include a visit to a beautiful outdoor market where you will discover exceptional foods from the very best local producers. There is also an opportunity to learn about foie gras by participating in a 3hr ‘Foie Gras’ Workshop. Here you will learn to prepare “cou farci”, “confit” and goose liver. Participants take away with them jars prepared in the workshop and like all classes a superb lunch with wine tasting is included in the price of 190 euros.

To find out more about Château Lavergne’s cookery classes, culinary tours and wine tastings visit the website at www.chateau-lavergne.com