Fudge Kitchen puts flavours through their paces with annual contest
A host of inventive flavours came under the microscope recently for the New Year New Flavour initiative from UK confectionery firm Fudge Kitchen, as it bids to extend its existing extensive portfolio.
The company’s Kent-based sweet-toothed panel included FK MD, Sian Holt, members of the management team, The Kent Foodie’s Matt Bevan and Gill Eaglestone, a social media competition winner.
All sampled their way through two entries from each of the seven Fudge Kitchen shops across Britain including stores in Canterbury, Cambridge, Oxford, York, Edinburgh, Windsor and Bath; marking each on their appearance, texture and flavour, with the highest score earning the winning recipe a permanent place in the hallowed pages of the Fudge Kitchen recipe book.
“Fudge Kitchen is all about innovation,” explains MD, Sian Holt. She adds: “Over 36 years, we have grown a menu of well over 60 unique, original flavours across our slab fudge range, which is made daily in our seven shops. New Year New Flavour is an annual competition to keep encouraging creativity and product development, often with an on-trend theme.
Last year’s was ‘vegan fudge’, with an exceptional dairy free Hazelnut Chocolate fudge winning the crown for our Bath shop. This year picked up on the vintage vibe, with a ‘retro sweets’ theme following the launch last year of our “Tuck Shop Sharer” selection; and produced a genuine trip down memory lane.
Across a tantalising kaleidoscope of swirled, striped and speckled slices of fresh whipping cream fudge, the panel worked their way through a veritable Olde Sweete Shoppe of vintage flavours, reincarnated as handmade fudge with ingenious accuracy, including Parma Violet, Chocolate & Lime, Drumstick, Rhubarb & Custard, Bubble Gum, Liquorice Toffee and Candy Cane.
Guest judge Gill Eaglestone, said: “When I walked into the tasting room I was really wowed; there was such a variety of exciting flavours, all with a retro sweet flavour theme.”
The three highest graded fudges included first placed Sherbet Fountain (Windsor FK), Joint 2nd went to Rhubarb & Custard (Bath FK) and Liquorice Toffee (Canterbury FK), with a Joint 3rd accolade going to Chocolate Lime and Candy Cane (both Cambridge FK)
