New Belgian packagings for the three Maaslander awarded cheeses from the Westland Kaasspecialiteiten BV Company of The Netherlands .  Good show !

Old Amsterdam cheese, produced by Westland Kaasspecialiteiten BV (The Netherlands), won for the third year in a row the Superior Taste Award.   This means the quality of this cheese is of  constant outstanding  level despite the tasting of different palates each year.   This means also they they deserved a Crystal Award, which crowns only products having received 3 Golden Stars (the highest score) during 3 consecutive years.

Just before Christmas, most of the Belgian newspapers announced chaos and problems to come because of a general strike.  But if you look well at the right of the front pages, you could see a very good suggestion to forget your worries and to see the good side of life, with a Tongerlo Prior. It gives you an even better feeling when you know that it won 3 golden Stars Superior Taste Awards in 2010 and 2011.

Every cloud has a silver lining, and in Belgium it is called beer!

Highest distinction received with the Crystal Award 2011

It’s sensational! The Crystal Award is being given to those who have received the Superior Taste Award three times in consecutive years. The Zoller-Hof team under the leadership of brewer Peter Hamberger achieved three years in a row the highest distinction with the Zoller-Hof Hefe-Weizen (Wheat beer) and hence received this outstanding and coveted award. Worldwide the Crystal Award was only given to three breweries so far and Zoller-Hof is the only brewery who received this award for their Hefe Weizen.

The leadership team is very proud of this achievement and will continue to produce with 100% regionally sourced raw materials, gentle brewing methods, high quality standards and ecologically energy.

The Crystal Award is being given by the Brussels based International Taste and Quality Institute (iTQi) and the jury consists of independent European chefs and sommeliers who test and honor the tastiest food and drinks articles submitted by manufacturers.

VAMIX is  a subsidiary of Belgian’s VANDEMOORTELE FOOD SERVICE.  This  department  commercializes  deepfrozen bakery products as well as edible oils & fats, mayonnaises and sauces for commercial outlets (horeca) and collectivity caterers.

This year, in 2011, they  harvested 5 Superior Taste Awards .

After the 4 awards received in 2010 and the 3 ones of 2009, this constellation of stars shows the  constant level of the quality of almost the totality of their range of products.

As many other food producers they show it on their website, they communicate it to their customers and they talk about it, which has proven successful in terms of gaining new customers and market shares.

Mary O’Callaghan, President of the Irish Guild of Sommeliers is one of our  “first-hour” jury members.   She has been member of iTQi’s Superior Taste Award jury since the beginning and makes sure to have no other obligations during the three days in May where the drink tests take place.

These obligations include sometimes   very important functions, like State banquets where she is in the company of Heads of State as depicted on the website of the Irish Guild of Sommeliers.

However, at the International Taste & Quality Institute, she joins fellow colleagues from 13 European  countries for a serious work of tasting drinks and beverages coming from all over the world:   some very well known like waters or teas, some unusual ones like soft drinks based on milk or unknown drinks coming from far away countries and which need a specific preparation.

Good show Mary, and thank you for your professionalism during our tasting sessions.

Three beers of the Belgian Haacht brewery received a 3 golden stars Superior Taste Award this year: Prior Tongerloo,  Charles Quint Blonde /Keizer Karel Goud Blond &  Charles Quint Rouge Rubis /Keizer Karel Robijn Rood

It is the second year in a row for the Prior Tongerloo,which means that this beer is eligible for a Crystal Taste Award if it gets again 3 stars in 2012.

Next to these products, Haacht brewery received also 2 Golden Stars awards for the PRIMUS Pils and the VAL Still mineral water, very nice results indeed as this means that these 2 products have scored between 80 and 90% at the testing session.  Congratulations!

In this video, Juan Garro, President of the Spanish Milk company Lacturale, explains how winning  in 2009 and 2010 3 stars for its products,  helped him to become the leading brand in his region  and increased its national market share.

In the mean time , in 2011 his product received 3  Golden stars again which means that for achieving  the highest award 3 years in a row, he received officially a Crystal Award.

Mr Fermin Cilveti Vidaurreta, General Manager of Lacturale,  was very happy to  receive his Crystal Award from Mr Louis Frere, Managing Partner of iTQi.

see also

Since 2006, the Kyodoshoji Co Ltd has been testing many of the beers brewed at the COEDO brewery by the International Taste & Quality Institute.  They have been awarded each year with 1, 2 or 3 golden  stars Superior Taste Awards.  Specially the Coedo Beniaka brand, which has received 3 golden stars in 2007, 2008 & 2009 and has therefore been honored by a Crystal Award. In this video, the CEO of the company, Mr Shigeharu Asagiri, is explaining how he has used the Superior Taste Awards to build and increase  trust of the customers in the Coedo brands.