Food and drink producers across west Dorset have been recognised for their products in the Great Taste Awards.

Capreolus Fine Foods, based in Rampisham near Beaminster, came out on top and was presented with the Charcuterie Product of the Year award for its Guanciale, which also gained three stars, along with its smoked mutton, Dorset Copper and chorizo.

It was also awarded two stars for its Dorset air dried pork loin, Uphall Farmhouse air dried ham, Rampisham Tingler salami and one star for Dorset Rosette salami and wild venison and pork peperoni.

Clipper Teas, based in Beaminster, gained two stars for its Fairtrade everyday teabags, organic everyday teabags, and gold teabags, as well as picking up one star for its organic decaf everyday teabags, English breakfast teabags and organic infusion wild berry teabags.

Bridport-based The Cherry Tree was awarded two stars for its sweet cider chutney and Pina colada curd, with one star going to its spicy tomato and caramelised onion chutney and blackcurrant and sloe gin jam.

Babbo Gelato, which has ice cream kiosks in Lyme Regis, West Bay and Morcombelake, was also a winner, with two stars for its hazelnut gelato and one star for the ice cream producer’s blackcurrant sorbet, crystallised ginger gelato and mint choc chip gelato.

Great Taste was founded in 1994 and organised by the Guild of Fine Food. It has judged more than 146,000 products in the last 25 years, each one blind-tested by a team of expert judges. Products are then awarded a one, two, or three star rating, with less than 3% of foods receiving the highly-acclaimed three stars.

This year, more than 500 judges, including specially trained food writers inputting judges’ comments, came together at 75 judging days from March through to early July. Judging took place at Guild HQ in Dorset and its permanent office in London.

Out of 12,772 products, only 208 foods achieved the highest and most coveted rating of three stars. There were 1,326 foods gaining two stars and 3,409 were awarded one star. Just over 38 per cent of entries were accredited.

For more information and a full list of winners, visit greattasteawards.co.uk