GREAT TASTE AWARDS 2025
Great Taste is the world’s largest and most trusted food and drink accreditation scheme. Putting your food or drink to the test with our panel of over 500 experts is a quick way to get honest, straightforward and impartial feedback from chefs, buyers, food writers and retailers. Whether your product receives a 1-, 2- or 3-star accolade, Great Taste stars are highly respected seals of approval.
Our Pineappleweed Kombucha won 1-star ★ and our Dry-Hopped Kombucha came home with 2-stars ★★
Great Taste Award stars heading for Orkney
“Four talented Orkney food and drink makers are celebrating the latest local success at the annual Great Taste Awards.”
“Donaldsons of Orkney, the Golden Slipper Brewing Company, Jollys of Orkney, and the Orkney Gin Company have all claimed coveted stars for their products.”
“One of Orkney’s newest producers, the Golden Slipper Brewing Company, marked its first Great Taste Awards in style, winning two stars for its Dry-Hopped Kombucha. Its Pineappleweed Kombucha also came home with a star.”
— An excerpt from ORKNEY.COM [Read the Article]
DRY-HOPPED KOMBUCHA
★ ★
“A slightly cloudy kombucha with gentle bubbles. The hops come through very strongly in a bitter flavour that people are either going to love or hate. There's a dryness on the palate afterwards. Perhaps one for beer drinkers wanting to avoid alcohol.”
“There is an immediate explosion of flavour; we get the yeasty beery character of kombucha with the additional layers of the Oolong and then that hoppy note steps in. Really interesting, complex flavours. A pleasing spritz.”
“Attractive kombucha with enticing effervescence and a fruity aroma. A natural mouthfeel releases a complex balance flavour profile; rich fruity natural hops mingle with well-judged fermented tea, to give a pure, natural, refreshing drink, that not only tastes delicious, but is good for your gut.”
PINEAPPLEWEED KOMBUCHA
★
“A good, clear, pale yellow drink. The spritz is perfect. There is a dryness from the tea and there seems to be a gentle smokiness. The sugar levels are good and it is a good clean drink.”
“There is refreshment to be found here from the fermented process.”
“This is an attractive, clear, slightly carbonated kombucha. It's very refreshing and we enjoyed the gentle fizz and acidity. The tea has come through well.”
A final note —
To be perfectly honest, we really didn’t know what to expect when we decided to enter our products in to The Great Taste Awards. Amid all the chaos and relentless hustle and bustle of starting up a new business, it felt like adding more pressure on ourselves was the last thing we needed—especially when we were already focused on meeting and managing local demand. But then again, why the hell not give it a shot and see what happens?
We absolutely love hearing from the judges that our Dry-Hopped Kombucha is not only hoppy and fruity but also wonderfully complex and bursting with explosive flavour. Equally, our Pineappleweed Kombucha was praised as a refreshingly clean drink, perfectly balanced with a gentle fizz and just the right touch of acidity. These glowing reviews give us the confidence that we are firmly on the right path, and they clearly highlight how using only the highest quality ingredients in our crafted brews makes a world of difference—especially when it comes to nourishing your gut health.
We’ve fine-tuned our products since then, especially on the dry-hopped Kombucha. We switched over to the exceptional CGX™ Cryogenic Hops from Crosby Hops, elevating the flavour and aroma to new heights.
We’re just a small batch brewery nestled in the heart of the wild Orkney Islands, and we are beyond grateful for the incredible support and encouragement from all of you since kicking off this bold brewing adventure in early January.
It means the world to us. Thank you.
xx
VIEW THE GREAT TASTE AWARDS 2025 WINNER DIRECTORY
READ ORKNEY.COM’S ARTICLE
