Independent
No pay-to-win tiers and no sponsor influence over results. Entry fees cover tasting logistics only.
The awards
Recognition earned at the table, not in the boardroom.
Two competitions, one standard. The Excellent Taste Awards are open to producers worldwide; the Mediterranean Taste Awards honour products rooted in the Mediterranean culinary tradition. Both are judged with the same blind protocol and the same 100-point sensory sheet.
800+
Products Evaluated
48
Countries represented
25
Food & beverage categories
100
Point sensory scale
Blind
Samples are decanted and coded. Judges never see a brand, a country of origin or a price point.
Useful
Every entrant receives the panel's written sensory notes — actionable feedback whether or not a medal follows.
The badges
Marks of distinction, earned blind
The Badges of Excellent Taste Awards
★★★
95 – 100
★★
94.9 – 90
★
89.9 – 85
The Badges of Mediterranean Taste Awards
★★★
95 – 100
★★
94.9 – 90
★
89.9 – 85
Scoring scale
The Excellent Taste Awards and Mediterranean Taste Awards judging scoring scale
★★★
95 – 100
Platinum award
A spectacular product of exceptional taste, delivering a truly memorable taste experience.
★★
94.9 – 90
Gold award
A well-made product showcasing excellent taste, balance, and careful craftsmanship.
★
89.9 – 85
Silver award
A recommended product offering pleasing flavours and a satisfying taste experience.
Method
Judging process & scoring method
A credible, transparent and unbiased sensory evaluation — one of the earliest methods of quality control, still widely used in the industry.
How judging works- 01
To ensure the evaluation of food and beverage samples is credible, transparent and unbiased, we have introduced a sensory evaluation — one of the earliest methods of quality control, still widely used in the industry.
- 02
A scientific discipline used to evoke, measure, analyse and interpret reactions to the characteristics of foods and materials as perceived by the senses of sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing.
- 03
Food products are presented to the judges for blind tasting, unbranded.
- 04
Samples are stored and prepared to the highest hygiene standards, according to the nature of each food product.
- 05
Two further levels of blind assessment sit alongside the regular tasting: cross-tasting of samples by a second group of judges, and repetition of the same sample by the group that performed the first tasting.
- 06
Juries have zero prior knowledge of the product's brand name or other sensitive information. Scoring is made securely through our online proprietary rating platform, where each jury member submits an individual score for every assessed product.
The assessment model
A hybrid structure
Food and beverage samples are evaluated primarily in-house at our premises by our chefs and professional tasting team. When travel or scheduling commitments prevent tasters from attending in person, selected products may be sent to them for remote evaluation. Only products suitable for shipping without compromising their ingredients, quality, freshness, or sensory characteristics are considered for this process.
Preparation & presentation
Blind tasting, unbranded
The food and beverage samples are presented to the judges for blind tasting, unbranded — stored and prepared to the highest hygiene standards according to the nature of each product.
Excellent Taste Awards™
The award sessions
#1
Excellent Taste Awards
Any food & beverage is qualified to participate in this session.
#2
Innovation Awards
The final product is examined against the five general consumer expectations: pleasure, health, convenience, physical and ethics.
- Pleasure
- Sophistication, fun, variety of senses, pleasure, exoticism
- Health
- Vegetal, natural, medical
- Physical
- Energy well-being, slimness
- Ethics
- Solidarity, ecology
- Convenience
- Time-saving, easy to handle, nomadism
#3
Packaging & Design Awards
In a consumer-driven economy, effective packaging is considered from three viewpoints: viability (maintainable and enabling brand development), feasibility (practical and realizable) and desirability (enticing to consumers).
- We examine
- Brand identification, shelf impact, messaging communication, aesthetic appeal, graphic elements, placement, logo, legibility, readability, brand perception, product perception, confusions, misidentifications, impact of color, flow of innovation, comprehension, brand recall
Mediterranean Taste Awards™
The award sessions
#1
Mediterranean Taste Awards
Any food & beverage is qualified to participate in this session.