By Claire Cartmill

Copyright newsletter

While Basalt Distillery, the producer of a unique gin that distilled using basalt filtered water from a borehole near the Giant’s Causeway was the outright winner from Northern Ireland, there was also a Golden Fork for Outstanding Bursary for Fermanagh’s The Curly Pigs, a micro-enterprise, was rewarded for its unique Nduja charcuterie product, a spicy paste prepared from cured pork and peppers that’s traditionally made in the Italian region of Calabria. The Great Taste Bursary Scheme, established in 2023, iis a separate process that enables micro producers to have products assessed by a panel of judges before the main awards. Northern Ireland now has two award-winning producers of Nduja – the other being Corndale Farm Charcuterie in Limavady. Basalt Distillery’s Basalt Volcanic Rock Gin was the big winner for Northern Ireland on a night of tasty and prestigious awards. The Supreme Champion, the overall Great Taste of 2025 winner, was Edinburgh’s East Neuk Kilnhouse hot smoked mackerel. More that 14,000 products from upwards of 3,600 companies across 110 countries, were narrowed down to just 33 Golden Fork nominees on the night.. Dubbed ‘the Oscars of the food world’, the Golden Forks celebrate the best products from the UK, Europe and the rest of the world. There are also trophies that don’t have nominees, such as Golden Fork for Sustainability, Golden Fork for Better Business, Golden Fork for Outstanding Bursary, and renowned food broadcaster Nigel Barden’s Heritage Award. The finals of the annual Great Taste Golden Forks, a spectacular dinner and awards, was held in Battersea Arts Centre in London last Tuesday. Following four months of meticulous Great Taste judging, the forks were unveiled to an audience of around 1,000 industry leaders, retailers and food writers. The event was organised by the UK Guild of Fine Food in London, the body that has been running the annual Great Taste Awards successfully for 40 years. Judging sessions have been held in Belfast in the past. Dublin was a venue this year for one of the judging sessions. Martha Garbe, who runs Basalt Volcanic Rock Distillery with co-founder James Richardson, commenting on the ward says: “We are absolutely thrilled to have won the Northern Ireland Golden Fork Award. It’s a marvellous endorsement for our small distillery and, of course, our unique gin in distinctive hexagonal bottles. “It should be really beneficial as we seek to drive our business forward, especially in Great Britain, our most important market outside Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. We’ve gained important business with iconic retailer Harvey Nichols, one of the UK’s most respected stores. “Winning such a globally recognised award should also raise awareness of our gin in the international marketplace. It’s a real breakthrough for in such a competitive environment,” adds Martha. Martha and James, both chemical engineering graduates, set up the distillery in 2021 to develop an artisan gin, and have added a vodka to the portfolio. They also make gin and vodka for celebrity chef Paula McIntyre. Basalt Rock gin and vodka features water from the couple’s own borehole near Bushmills, the historic Co Antrim village. The water is naturally filtered through basalt rock, and a combination of nature and leading edge distilling technology helps to create their signature basalt rock gin. The gin and vodka feature hexagonal bottes in keeping with their location close to the historic site. Owned by husband and wife team Stephen and Rachael McMaster, The Curly Pigs rears around 60 Mangalitsa pigs, originally a Hungarian breed, in the heart of Fermanagh where they can roam and forage. They are now developing a range of cured meats like the award-winning Nduja, salami, lomo, and copa charcuterie. The producers emphasise high welfare, sustainable practices, and antibiotic-free techniques. The small company has been steadily developing sales through food markets across Northern Ireland. Stephen McMaster of The Curly Pigs says: Winning the Golden Fork Outstanding Bursary was a very pleasant surprise, a development we certainly weren’t expecting. What it will now do is to raise the profile of our pork products, especially Nduja, a richly flavoured paste that’s not really appreciated in Northern Ireland…yet! “The award will also encourage us as we seek to win more customers at markets here over the months ahead. The recognition in the widely respected Great Taste Awards is a massive vote of confidence for an artisan micro-business like The Curly Pigs is,” adds Stephen Basalt Volcanic Rock Gin now joins an impressive array of local Golden Fork winners – and FoodNI members – that includes Hannan Meats in Moira; Whitewater Brewery in Castlewellan, Millbay Oysters from Carlingford, and venison from Baronscourt Estate in Co Tyrone.