What is a Great Taste Award?

Great Taste is an independent food and drink accreditation scheme organised by the Guild of Fine Food.

Products are assessed on their taste, texture, aroma, appearance and overall eating experience. The judges are not there to reward the most attractive packaging or the loudest marketing campaign.

They judge the food.

That distinction matters.

A Great Taste star does not mean that a company has simply paid to display an award logo. Products are entered for assessment, tasted and evaluated by independent judges. Not every product submitted receives an award.

In fact, we know that from our own results.

Some products we entered were not awarded a star. We do not hide that. Honest feedback is part of improving a serious food business.

The products that succeeded had to earn their recognition on taste.

That is why we regard these awards as an important trust signal rather than simply another badge to place on a website.

Which Casa Argentina products won Great Taste Awards in 2026?

All three of Casa Argentina’s 2026 winners received a one-star Great Taste Award, recognising food that delivers excellent flavour and a memorable eating experience.

Premium Plain Provolone Cheese, 200g

Provolone is one of the great staples of an Argentine asado.

Placed on the grill or cooked in a small cast-iron dish, it becomes provoleta: bubbling, savoury, slightly crisp around the edges and soft through the centre.

The Great Taste judges highlighted the Plain Provolone’s rich, buttery character, appetising melted-cheese aroma and satisfying cheese pull.

They also recognised its juiciness, carefully balanced saltiness and moreish finish.

“We adored the melted cheese aroma of this warm provolone.”

The judges described it as a good melting cheese that stretched with an entertaining pull. They also noted its slightly chewy but buttery texture and clean finish.

Another judging panel suggested that its savoury character would make it particularly enjoyable in a toasted sandwich.

This is important because a good provolone must do more than taste acceptable when cold.

It needs to perform when heated.

It should melt correctly, develop an inviting aroma and provide the texture customers expect when they order provoleta in a restaurant or prepare it at home.

Premium Seasoned Provolone Cheese, 200g

Our Premium Seasoned Provolone also received a one-star Great Taste Award.

The judges recognised its attractive appearance, gentle chilli heat, herbal topping and salty, savoury flavour.

They specifically noted the visual impact of the melted cheese and its appetising cheese pull.

“The chilli gives it an attractive appearance and a subtle kick on the finish.”

The seasoning gives the cheese another dimension without changing what the product is supposed to be.

It is still provolone.

It is still the centrepiece.

The herbs and chilli are there to support the cheese rather than disguise it.

For customers cooking at home, this makes it a simple but impressive starter.

For restaurants, it provides a consistent way to serve an Argentine classic without needing to create a separate seasoning blend for every portion.

Argentine-Style Chorizo, Provolone and Verdeo Empanadas

Our Chorizo, Provolone and Verdeo Empanada also achieved one star, becoming the second Casa Argentina empanada to receive a Great Taste Award.

Our Argentine-Style Beef Empanada was recognised in 2025.

The judges praised the new empanada’s rustic, homemade appearance, golden pastry, artisanal crimping and generous filling.

They identified clear pieces of chorizo, spring onion and cheese, describing the overall product as well-seasoned and high quality, with a homemade feel.

“A good quality product with a homemade feel.”

One of the most encouraging points was that the chorizo came through clearly.

That may sound obvious, but it is not.

Many commercial empanadas are dominated by pastry, with a filling that is difficult to identify. Others rely heavily on salt, sauce or generic seasoning to create flavour.

A premium empanada should let you taste its main ingredients.

You should be able to recognise the meat, cheese, vegetables and seasoning rather than simply experiencing one soft, indistinct filling.

Which Casa Argentina products won Great Taste Awards in 2025?

The three 2026 awards followed five one-star Great Taste Awards received in 2025:

• Casa Argentina Argentine-Style Beef Empanadas
• Casa Argentina Chorizo Criollo Parrillero
• Ché Dulce de Leche
• San Ignacio Dulce de Leche
• Happy Capy Cold-Brewed Yerba Mate

Together, the 2025 and 2026 results provide independent recognition across several of the most important categories within Argentine food.

Those categories include empanadas, chorizo criollo, provolone cheese, dulce de leche and yerba mate.

This matters because Casa Argentina is not trying to become known for one isolated award-winning product.

Our purpose is to help customers create the complete experience around Argentine food.

That might begin with empanadas.

It might continue with chorizo and provoleta from the grill, followed by Argentine beef.

It may finish with a dessert made using dulce de leche and a conversation around the table that carries on much longer than expected.

We are not simply selling individual ingredients.

We are helping people create the moment around them.

Does a Great Taste Award guarantee that everyone will like a product?

No.

Taste will always contain an element of personal preference.

Some customers want a stronger chilli flavour. Others prefer something milder.

Some want a very soft empanada filling, while others prefer more texture.

Some people enjoy an intensely sweet dulce de leche, while others look for a more balanced dairy flavour.

An award cannot promise that every person will love every product.

What it can provide is credible independent evidence that experienced judges found the product worthy of recognition.

That reduces uncertainty.

Instead of relying entirely on what the manufacturer or supplier says, you have an external assessment to consider alongside customer reviews, product information, ingredients and your own preferences.

Great Taste Awards should therefore be treated as a meaningful quality signal, not as a substitute for your own judgement.

Why are some Argentine food products much cheaper than others?

This is one of the questions food suppliers are often reluctant to answer.

The honest answer is that two products with similar names can be very different.

An empanada can be made with a generous, clearly identifiable filling, or it can be mostly pastry.

A chorizo can be made with carefully selected meat and balanced seasoning, or it can contain a higher proportion of fat, fillers or less expensive ingredients.

Provolone can be selected because of how it melts and tastes, or simply because it reaches the lowest possible price.

Dulce de leche can be made with a high proportion of fresh milk, or produced using cheaper formulations involving milk powder, water and other substitutions.

These differences affect cost.

So do food-safety standards, ingredient sourcing, labour, cold-chain handling, consistency and quality control.

There is nothing wrong with a customer deciding that price is the main priority. Every household and every business has a budget.

The mistake is assuming that all products are essentially identical and that the only difference is the price.

They are not.

When a cheaper product performs differently, tastes less distinctive or produces an inconsistent result, the saving may not represent better value.

Why quality matters to Argentine steakhouses and restaurants

For an Argentine restaurant, the starter is not a minor detail.

Customers may arrive because they want steak, but their judgement begins before the main course.

The first empanada matters.

The chorizo matters.

The provoleta matters.

These dishes establish what kind of restaurant the customer has chosen.

When an Argentine steakhouse positions itself as premium but serves a low-cost, mass-produced empanada with very little filling, the customer notices the contradiction, even when they cannot immediately explain it.

The same applies to provolone that does not melt properly, chorizo that releases excessive fat or a dessert made with an imitation dulce de leche that lacks the expected milk and caramel character.

A restaurant cannot build a premium reputation using only premium words.

The food must support the promise.

That does not mean every restaurant must buy the most expensive product available.

It means each product should be assessed according to the result it creates for the customer.

Questions every Argentine restaurant should ask its food supplier

• Does the product taste distinctive?
• Does it perform consistently during service?
• Does it look generous on the plate?
• Can customers clearly identify the main ingredients?
• Does it support the price being charged?
• Will the customer remember it?
• Would we be proud to explain where it came from?

A cheaper ingredient that weakens the customer’s experience can become extremely expensive when it leads to poor reviews, fewer repeat visits or a forgettable meal.

Premium food is not about making the business the hero

Your customer is the hero.

They have chosen your restaurant because they want an enjoyable evening, an authentic experience, a celebration or a meal worth remembering.

Your role is to guide them towards that result.

The empanada is part of the plan.

The provoleta is part of the plan.

The chorizo, steak, wine and dulce de leche are part of the plan.

When those elements work together, the customer leaves feeling that they made the right decision.

When businesses focus only on reducing the cost of each individual component, they can lose sight of the outcome they are actually selling.

A steakhouse is not merely selling cooked beef.

It is selling anticipation, hospitality, atmosphere, generosity and the pleasure of sharing food around a table.

The ingredients need to support that story.

How can businesses source award-winning Argentine food in the UK?

Casa Argentina supplies Argentine food and drink to restaurants, Argentine steakhouses, retailers, caterers, wholesalers and other food businesses across the UK.

Our range includes award-winning empanadas, chorizo criollo, provolone cheese and dulce de leche, alongside Argentine beef and other products selected to create a complete Argentine food experience.

We understand that price matters.

Margins matter.

Consistency, availability, storage, delivery and ease of preparation matter too.

That is why the right conversation should not begin with:

“What is your cheapest product?”

It should begin with:

“What experience are you trying to give your customer, and which product will help you deliver it consistently?”

Sometimes a more affordable option will be the correct commercial decision.

Sometimes it will not.

Our responsibility is to give businesses the information they need to make that decision honestly.

Eight awards, but only one reason they matter

We are proud to have become the first Argentine food specialist in the UK to receive eight Great Taste Awards.

It represents years of product selection, development, tasting, feedback and improvement.

But customers do not buy awards.

They buy food.

They want an empanada that tastes generous and homemade.

They want provolone that bubbles, melts and stretches.

They want chorizo with recognisable seasoning and a satisfying texture.

They want dulce de leche that delivers the milk, caramel and sweetness they remember, or are discovering for the first time.

The awards matter because they provide independent reassurance that quality is not simply something we claim.

It is something other people can taste.

Are you looking for premium Argentine food for your business?

Speak to Casa Argentina about award-winning empanadas, provolone cheese, chorizo criollo, dulce de leche and other premium Argentine products for your restaurant, steakhouse, shop, catering business or wholesale operation.

Contact our team at orders@casaargentina.com

Frequently asked questions

How many Great Taste Awards has Casa Argentina won?

Casa Argentina has received eight one-star Great Taste Awards: five in 2025 and three in 2026.

Which Casa Argentina products won Great Taste Awards in 2026?

The 2026 winners were Premium Plain Provolone Cheese, Premium Seasoned Provolone Cheese and Argentine-Style Chorizo, Provolone and Verdeo Empanadas.

Are Casa Argentina empanadas Great Taste Award winners?

Yes. Casa Argentina’s Argentine-Style Beef Empanadas won a Great Taste Award in 2025, followed by the Chorizo, Provolone and Verdeo Empanadas in 2026.

Has Casa Argentina’s chorizo criollo won a Great Taste Award?

Yes. Casa Argentina’s Chorizo Criollo Parrillero received a one-star Great Taste Award in 2025.

Has Casa Argentina’s dulce de leche won Great Taste Awards?

Yes. Ché Dulce de Leche and San Ignacio Dulce de Leche both received one-star Great Taste Awards in 2025.

Does Casa Argentina supply restaurants and Argentine steakhouses?

Yes. Casa Argentina supplies restaurants, Argentine steakhouses, retailers, caterers, wholesalers and other food businesses across the UK. Trade enquiries can be sent to orders@casaargentina.com.