Three Gold Stars, Twice – and More!
Our Thai curries got a 3-star VIP upgrade!
Back in July, we were honoured to win at the Great Taste Awards, and six months later, we’ve had time to reflect on what that really means for us, our team, and our customers.
When you win awards like this, it’s pretty important to shout about it! Only 2% of all 14,000 entries into this year’s Great Taste Awards won three gold stars, and two of our Thai pastes, the Red Curry and the Massaman, were among them.
Get the Stickers On!
We quickly ordered the stickers from the Guild of Fine Food, and our packing team, Yvonne and Kyle, got busy adding them to the packs before they went out to customers. They did a fantastic job under pressure!
Recipe Tweaks and Ingredient Boost
When we redeveloped the pastes in October 2025 and moved production to Thailand to access the freshest ingredients (see our other blog on this here), we were thrilled with the results.
We tasted, trialled, and tasted again to get the perfect balance of flavour in each paste. If you want to buy curry paste or buy Thai curry ingredients like we use in our award-winning recipes, check out our online shop, perfect for curry online shopping enthusiasts.
We Had to Lose Our Stars to Get Them Back
When you change your recipe or production methods, the Guild of Fine Food quite rightly requires you to remove old award stickers. So, we took them off, but cheekily added new ones reading “New Improved Recipe” and “Our Best Recipe Yet.”
Even though our original recipes had already earned 1-Star Great Taste Awards, we knew these new versions were an upgrade. When the judges blind-tasted our new pastes and awarded them 3, 2, and 1 stars, we were absolutely thrilled; it felt like we’d nailed it!
Spoiler Alert
The awards were officially announced on July 29th, but 3-Star winners get the news about five weeks early. I got the call in June and could hardly believe it, two of our pastes had won three stars!
All 3-Star winners go through an additional round of judging to determine the Supreme Champion. We didn’t take the top spot this year, that honour went to a smoked mackerel from East Neuk Kilnhouse in Scotland, but we were proud to be in such incredible company.
A Summer Showcase Pop-Up
Knowing the awards were coming, I decided we needed to do a pop-up! The idea had been bubbling away, and when a unit became available at Y Maes, Criccieth, a new food hub and bar with a cool, open-plan communal seating area, it felt like the perfect fit.
The space was available from July to October, and it became a great way for customers to come and taste our award-winning curries, all made using our authentic Thai pastes. (You can read my other blog about the pop-up, re-entering hospitality and the ups and downs that came with it!)
Six Months On: What the Awards Have Brought Us
Our website nearly crashed the weekend that our Thai Red Curry Paste (3-Star winner) was featured by Tony Turnbull in The Times! Okay, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but orders were up 400% that weekend!
This quote from him was amazing: “I defy anyone to distinguish this from a restaurant-made curry. It’s rich with chilli, lemongrass and Thai basil, and the heat builds nicely but never overpowers the individual flavours. Just add coconut milk and your protein of choice.”
Huge thanks to Marcus at our distributor, The Artisan Food Club Online, who shared our winning pastes, this post helped us reach three new shops who now stock our full range of Thai pastes and sauces.
Wonderful Feedback
We’ve had such lovely feedback from new and returning customers, especially at the pop-up, where every Thai dish we served was made using our award-winning products.
Pride and Motivation for the Team
Behind every jar is a lot of passion and hard work, and our team is bigger than you might think! A massive thank-you to everyone who helped us create our award-winning pastes in 2025.
Special shout-outs to:
- Nancy, for tasting, guiding the factory in Thailand, and keeping us true to our vision.
- Caroline Holroyd, NPD Manager, for her tireless attention to detail.
- Rachelle and Ken at 51 Corp, our Thailand agents who coordinate everything with the factory.
- The NPD team and chefs at the factory, for grinding, blending, and perfecting each batch.
- Our warehouse team in Conwy and Pensarn, Wales, for checking, packing, and sending out our pastes with care.
And finally, thank you to you, our customers and stockists. Your support, loyalty, and love for what we make keep us going. Whether you’re looking to buy curry paste, buy Thai curry ingredients, or just explore our curry online shopping options, these awards prove that we’re among the very best.