Hawkshead Relish and The Lake District Tea Co. among the county's finest as national judges name their finalists for this year's awards, Andrew Palmer reports

Cumbria's food and drink producers are celebrating a strong showing in the Great British Food Awards 2026, with Hawkshead Relish and The Lake District Tea Co. both named among the finalists announced on Monday, 11th August.

Hawkshead Relish leads the way with four products shortlisted. Its Tomato & Chilli Pasta Sauce and Sun-Dried Tomato and Herb Pasta Sauce both feature in the Cooking Kits & Cooking Sauces category, while its Ultimate Festive Chutney is up for a Savoury Preserves award and its Christmas Ketchup has been shortlisted in the Table Sauce Condiments category. The recognition comes just weeks after the company picked up a two-star award for its Posh Pickle Sauce at the Great Taste Awards 2026.

Maria Whitehead MBE, co-founder of Hawkshead Relish, said: "We're absolutely delighted to have four products listed as finalists in the Great British Food Awards this year. Being a small family business, this is a fantastic achievement and a real testament to the hard work and dedication from our whole team. We're incredibly proud to see our products listed alongside some of Britain's finest food producers on a national stage."

The Lake District Tea Co., meanwhile, has seen its Kendal Mint Brew shortlisted in the tea category — hard on the heels of the company's first-ever Guild of Fine Food Great Taste Award, also for the same product, announced last month.

Josh Sale from The Lake District Tea Co. said: "This is amazing news, especially as it's following on from our first ever Great Taste Award, which was also for our Kendal Mint Brew. Fingers crossed for the awards do in London and here's hoping we can bring back another award for the Lake District and the team."

Now in its first year under this new format, the Great British Food Awards was originally launched in 2014 to celebrate the best of British artisanal food and drink. This year's event covers more than 60 categories, ranging from Bread, Cheese and Dairy to new additions such as Alcohol Free and Cocktails. Entries are judged by a panel including Raymond Blanc OBE, Channel 4 First Dates' Merlin Griffiths, Mowgli Street Food founder Nisha Katona MBE, Black Bull chef-owner Nina Matsunaga and Great British Menu winner Kate Austen.

Products are awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze badges according to how they score against the judging criteria, with regional badges and a single Grand Champion title also up for grabs — both to be revealed on the night. The winners will be announced at the first-ever Great British Food Awards ceremony on Tuesday, 6th October 2026, at a London venue yet to be confirmed.

Until then, Hawkshead Relish's shortlisted products can be found in the Hawkshead Relish Shop, in selected retailers nationwide and online at www.hawksheadrelish.com — with all four also on show at the Hawkshead Agricultural Show on Tuesday, 18th August. For two Cumbrian producers riding high on recent Great Taste success, the wait for October's ceremony will be a nervous one.