Great Taste Awards 2025
The Hale Herbalist takes home TWO Great Taste 2025 awards for their No.1 InHale & No.6 Energise Blends
Judged by the Guild of Fine Food’s expert panel, No.1 InHale is awarded a Great Taste 2-star in the world’s most trusted food and drink accreditation scheme.
No.6 Energise Blend is awarded a Great Taste 1-star.
Cheshire-based Organic Herbal Infusion & Tea Blend start-up, The Hale Herbalist, has been named among the top food and drink producers globally this year, picking up one highly prized 2-star Great Taste award for their “No.1 InHale Blend and a 1-star Great Taste award for their No.6 Energise Blend.
14,340 products were put through the competition’s rigorous blind judging process, and No.1 InHale was dubbed a “Truly soothing and comforting, with a delightful and novel interplay of flavours!” at the world’s most coveted food and drink awards. 3,899products were awarded a Great Taste 1-star – ‘food and drink that delivers fantastic flavour’, 1,508 were awarded a Great Taste 2-star – ‘above and beyond delicious’, and 273 were awarded a Great Taste 3-star – ‘extraordinarily tasty food and drink’.
The Judges described the No. 1 InHale Blend as having flavours that evoke "wellness and luxury - like being in an expensive spa. Everything it says it will do, it does exceptionally well. What's more, we can still taste it!" This immune-boosting blend was a big hit with the Great Taste judges.
No.1 Inhale is blended using the sweet and spicy flavours of organic ginger and liquorice root to make each sip comforting. The refreshing touches of peppermint and lemon balm bring a lightness to the blend, while the scents of rosemary and thyme help you relax and breathe easier. With hints of flowers and fruit from elderberry and elderflower, this infusion truly celebrates the beauty of nature.
The judges championed the impressive complexity and clarity of flavour, with balanced herbs and spice toeing the line between sweet and savoury." Adding that it is "Truly soothing and comforting, with a delightful and novel interplay of flavours."
No.1 InHale was one of 5,680 products to receive an award from Great Taste in 2025 (which is only 39.6% of the total products entered).
The Hale Herbalist's No.6 Energise Blend was also highly praised for its "lovely warming hue, which draws you in. On the nose, it just smells warm, confident, clean and fresh. On the palate, the flavour is well-woven and put together to offer a confident, competent drink. It really is a very smart balance of flavours, working so well together."
Louise Kitchin from The Hale Herbalist said: "I’m absolutely over the moon to have received not one, but two awards from the Guild of Fine Food in this year’s Great Taste Awards. The judges’ comments were incredible – praising the complexity of taste, the clever way the blends were created, and the overall balance.
What makes this moment even more special is that The Hale Herbalist began as something I created for myself, after discovering the incredible benefits of nature and herbs for my own well-being. To now be able to share that with others – and to have it recognised on such a prestigious stage – is truly rewarding.
I’ve always believed my infusions were delicious, nourishing, and soothing, but this recognition means so much and reinforces the passion and care that goes into every blend.”
“Being recognised with two Great Taste awards means so much to independent producers like us, as it makes all the hard work and determination worth it! Great Taste is the most recognised accolade for taste and quality in the food and drink industry, so it’s a huge milestone in our story!”
What is Great Taste?
Recognised as a stamp of excellence and actively sought out by food lovers and retailers alike, the Great Taste accreditation scheme, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, values taste above all else. Each product in the line-up for judging is blind-tasted, and all packaging is removed, so it cannot be identified, before entering a robust, layered judging process.
This year, judging took place over 110 days, with a panel of more than 500 judges putting entries to the test. The line-up saw food and drink products submitted from an extraordinary 110 different countries across the world.
The Hale Herbalist's Blends are available online at www.thehaleherbalist.com. RRP: £6.00 (30g) & £12.00 (60g).
For more information about The Hale Herbalist, visit www.thehaleherbalist.com.
The complete list of this year’s winners and where to buy them can be found at www.gff.co.uk/directory, and a wide range of the award-winning products are available to buy in delis, farm shops and independent retailers across the country.
For more information, imagery or interview opportunities, contact Louise Kitchin for PR requests on hello@thehaleherbalist.com or telephone number +44 7983185101.
About The Hale Herbalist
The Hale Herbalist is dedicated to creating organic, nourishing products that support wellbeing from the inside out. Our award-winning herbal infusions are crafted to soothe, energise, and restore balance, while our hair, face, and body care ranges are made in small batches using nature’s finest ingredients. Every blend and product is thoughtfully created to bring you the purest expression of natural wellness.
About the Guild of Fine Food
Now in its 32nd year, Great Taste is organised by the Guild of Fine Food. It is the world's largest, longest-standing and most respected food accreditation scheme and champions artisan and speciality food & drink producers.
The Guild of Fine Food is a community of business owners with a shared commitment to producing and promoting excellent food & drink. It was formed to provide mutual support and protection in maintaining standards and raising awareness of quality. It exists to represent all good independent food & drink businesses at a local, national, international and governmental level; building a diverse and inclusive collective of producers, retailers and food lovers who celebrate well-made produce.
Every Great Taste award has a validity of three years, i.e. a Great Taste 2025 award will be valid and may be displayed on a product until the results are released for Great Taste 2028. All awards must always be shown against the exact product for which they have been won.
The full list of winners over the last three years, and where to buy them, can be found at www.gff.co.uk/directory, and a wide range of the award-winning products are available to buy in delis, farm shops and independent retail outlets across the world.
As well as Great Taste, the Guild of Fine Food organises the global phenomenon that is the World Cheese Awards. The Guild also publishes industry-leading magazines, Fine Food Digest, Good Cheese, and the annual Great Taste Book. Other activities include Great Taste Markets, trade shows, and member-led initiatives throughout the year.