Guild of Fine Food
Professional services
UnclaimedA British family-owned food-industry publisher and organiser of specialist awards for artisan food and drink.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Guild of Fine Food is a British family-owned organisation that combines specialist food publishing with the promotion and administration of food and drink awards. Founded by Bob Farrand in 1992, it operates from Gillingham near Shaftesbury in Dorset and focuses on artisan and gourmet producers, retailers and food professionals across the United Kingdom. Its work is best known through the Great Taste Awards and the World Cheese Awards, two programmes that give producers opportunities to submit products for independent judging and to use award recognition in their marketing. The Guild's publishing activities centre on gourmet-food news and information for the trade. This publishing role places the organisation within the specialist food-media and industry-services sector rather than the conventional consumer packaged-goods market. It does not primarily manufacture or sell a branded range of foods; instead, it provides visibility, assessment and promotional platforms for producers and sellers of distinctive food and drink. Its audience includes artisan manufacturers, retailers, distributors, buyers, journalists and consumers interested in specialist products. The Great Taste Awards are open to both Guild members and non-members. Products are entered individually for a fee, with judging resulting in one-, two- or three-star awards. The programme is designed to assess the product itself rather than simply rely on packaging or brand reputation. The scale of the awards has grown substantially; more than 12,000 food and drink products were judged in 2018. Winning recognition can provide producers with a widely understood quality signal and a promotional asset for retail, export and direct-to-consumer sales. The World Cheese Awards extends the Guild's activity into international cheese evaluation. The awards were initiated in 1988 and have become a prominent competition for cheesemakers and specialist cheese businesses. Through this programme, the Guild connects British and overseas producers and gives champion cheeses and other highly rated entries international exposure. Governance remains closely associated with the Farrand family. Bob Farrand serves as chairman, while his son John Farrand is managing director. Other family members identified in reference material include Tortie Farrand as marketing director, Linda Farrand as a director and Sally Coley as a director. The family-owned structure and the Guild's concentration on specialist food distinguish it from large commercial rating, publishing or trade-show groups. The Guild's positioning rests on specialist knowledge, independent-style judging, producer promotion and access to the artisan-food sector. Its principal activities are awards, industry publishing and events rather than food production. The organisation serves the four nations of the United Kingdom while also supporting international participation, particularly through the World Cheese Awards. Detailed public information on its finances, corporate structure beyond the family ownership description and current executive tenure is limited.
History
The Guild of Fine Food was established in 1992 by Bob Farrand as a family-owned British organisation serving the specialist food sector. Its activities developed around two connected needs in artisan food: reliable exposure for smaller producers and specialist information for retailers, buyers and food enthusiasts. Rather than competing as a food manufacturer, the Guild built its role through publishing, awards and events. From its Dorset base, the Guild has promoted producers and sellers of artisan food and drink throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Its publishing work covers gourmet-food news and functions as an industry information service. This has allowed the organisation to maintain relationships across the supply chain, including producers, specialist retailers and other food professionals. The Great Taste Awards became the Guild's most visible programme. The awards accept entries from members and non-members, subject to a product entry fee. Submitted products are assessed by judges and receive one, two or three stars when they meet the relevant standard. The system gives producers a simple recognition framework that can be used on packaging, in retail settings and in promotional activity. The programme's scale is illustrated by the judging of 12,634 food and drink products in 2018. The Guild also promotes the World Cheese Awards, a competition initiated in 1988. The cheese programme gives the organisation an international dimension and brings together cheesemakers and specialist businesses from multiple markets. It complements Great Taste by concentrating on one of the most established and internationally traded categories in artisan food. The organisation has retained a strong family character. Reference material identifies all five directors as members of the Farrand family: Bob Farrand as chairman, John Farrand as managing director, Tortie Farrand as marketing director, Linda Farrand as a director and Sally Coley as a director. This continuity supports the Guild's specialist positioning, although publicly available reference material provides limited detail about changes in ownership, financial performance or executive appointments over time. Today, the Guild of Fine Food is best understood as a food-industry services and media organisation. Its central functions are publishing, awards administration, judging, events and the promotion of artisan producers. The Great Taste Awards provide broad food-and-drink coverage, while the World Cheese Awards supplies a more focused international platform for cheese. Together, these activities give the Guild a role as a connector between specialist producers, trade buyers, retailers and consumers.
- 2018
Great Taste judging reached more than 12,000 entries
[1]The Great Taste Awards judged 12,634 food and drink products, demonstrating the scale of the programme.
- 1992
Guild of Fine Food founded
[1]Bob Farrand founded the Guild of Fine Food in the United Kingdom as a family-owned organisation serving the specialist food sector.
- 1988
World Cheese Awards initiated
[1]The World Cheese Awards were initiated, later becoming one of the Guild of Fine Food's principal international programmes.
Products and positioning
A specialist, producer-focused authority and promotional platform for artisan food and drink, combining trade publishing with judged awards and industry events.
Food and drink awards
Great Taste Awards
The Great Taste Awards are the Guild's broad food-and-drink judging programme. Both members and non-members may enter products, with a fee charged for each submission. Products are assessed by judges and successful entries receive one, two or three stars. The awards cover artisan and gourmet products and give producers a recognisable quality mark for retail, packaging and promotional use. The programme judged 12,634 products in 2018.
Cheese awards and industry event · 1988
World Cheese Awards
The World Cheese Awards is an international cheese competition initiated in 1988 and promoted by the Guild of Fine Food. It brings together cheesemakers and specialist cheese businesses and identifies highly rated and champion cheeses through judged competition. The event gives producers international visibility and extends the Guild's activities beyond its United Kingdom base.
Specialist food-industry media · 1992
Gourmet-food publishing
The Guild publishes specialist information and news about gourmet food. This activity serves the trade and wider specialist-food community by covering producers, products and developments in the sector. It supports the Guild's role as an information provider and connects its publishing work with its awards and event activities.
Recent events
Sources3 sources
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