We couldn’t have imagined a better end to the summer than the news that our Blackberry and Balsamic Dressing and Dip has won another Great Taste Award!

In case you’re not familiar with Great Taste, it’s the largest and most trusted food and drink awards in the world! It was created by the people behind The Guild of Fine Food - an organisation set up in 1995 to support and encourage artisan food and beverage producers, as well as the independent delicatessens and farms shops that they supply. 

 When a maker (like us) enters the Great Taste awards, their lovingly made products are put to the test by a panel of over 500 experts made up of chefs, buyers, retailers and food critics. It’s their fine-tuned palettes which decide if your entries receive the Great Taste seal of approval. Winners can proudly add the award to their product labels – something which adds some serious credibility and helps set them apart on the farm shop shelves.

This year, the judges’ verdict on our Blackberry and Balsamic stated ‘it has a rich flavour, and is lightly sweet and tangy, with no bitter aftertaste. The flavour is bright… [and] has a refreshing mouth-feel’. We couldn’t ask for better than that!

Actually, here at Wild Island, we’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for our Blackberry Balsamic and out of every product we make, it’s the one most-used by our family at home! It’s rich and warm, created by infusing whole blackberries for over two weeks in great balsamic vinegar.

It’s also incredibly versatile! You can use it in similar ways to our raspberry vinegar – as blackberries and raspberries actually both share the same genus; Rubus, however blackberries have the added delight of some woody, cedar undertones!

Drizzle some over mozzarella, tomato and basil for a delicious summer salad or add to a casserole for some interesting back notes. It mixes well with your favourite extra virgin oil – we’d recommend Wild Island Chilli Oil in particular – and is a match made in heaven for a goat’s cheese tart. As a flavour, our Blackberry Balsamic also pairs very well with meat, including venison, pan-friend partridge or even roast chicken. You can also reduce it with red wine to add a depth of flavour to any roasting pan!

So, if you haven’t tried this Great Taste winner yet, you’ve really got no excuse! If you happen to be looking for something a bit different, we’ve also got a recipe with green beans, toasted almonds and roasted cherry tomatoes which you can see here. Finally, do let us know if you’ve discovered any new or unusual uses for our Blackberry Balsamic as we’re always keen to hear from you, our wonderful customers.