In recent years, numerous honey awards competitions have been held both in Greece and internationally. Some of these contests are exclusively for honey, while others include various food and beverage categories. Every year, dozens of beekeepers and packaging companies participate with the aim of achieving top honors and winning the coveted awards.
This raises some important questions: which are these competitions, who are the judges, how are the evaluations and comparisons conducted, and how can the award be leveraged for communication and converted into increased sales to justify participation?
We aim to shed light on these and other issues by analyzing the awards system and providing details on each competition.
Great Taste Awards
- Website: Great Taste Awards
- Location: London, England
- Type: Food and Beverage
- Submission Deadline: February 6
- Participation Cost: €85
The Great Taste Awards is the oldest and largest food competition in the world, established in 1995. It employs 500 taste judges from various categories. There is a distinct “Honey” category, separate from other related products like jams and spreads, which is not common in other competitions.
Superior Taste Awards – iTQI
- Website: Taste Institute
- Location: Brussels, Belgium
- Type: Food and Beverage
- Submission Deadline: November 15
- Participation Cost: €1,370
The Superior Taste Awards is perhaps the most renowned food and beverage competition in Europe, created in 2005 by chefs, sommeliers, and food tasters. It features 200 globally recognized tasters who evaluate thousands of products annually. The high participation cost is a deterrent for individual beekeepers, leading to a majority of entries from honey packaging and trading companies.
Mediterranean Taste Awards
- Website: Mediterranean Taste Awards
- Location: Oxford, England
- Type: Food and Beverage
- Participation Cost: €95 (€79 for early registration)
- Submission Deadline: April 30
This competition, launched in 2020 by a group of tasters and food scientists, has quickly gained popularity among Mediterranean beekeepers due to its low participation cost, dynamic advertising campaigns, and focus on Mediterranean products such as honey, cheese, and olive oil.
BIOLMIEL
- Website: BIOLMIEL
- Location: Italy (various cities each year)
- Type: Honey (only for certified organic honey)
- Participation Cost: €20
- Submission Deadline: November 20
BIOLMIEL is the most specialized honey competition globally, with the highest competition. It is organized by the National Honey Tasting Council of Italy and features 12 world-renowned honey tasters. Only certified organic honeys can compete, enhancing the competition’s credibility and reliability.
LONDON / PARIS Honey Awards
- Websites: London Honey Awards, Paris Honey Awards
- Locations: London, England / Paris, France
- Type: Honey
- Participation Cost: €250
- Submission Deadline: May 20
Both competitions are organized by George Kouvelis, who also oversees international olive oil awards. Samples are collected in Athens and sent to London or Paris. These popular European competitions feature categories based on taste and packaging, with honey samples classified by botanical origin.
Olymp Awards
- Website: Olymp Awards
- Location: Athens, Greece
- Type: Food and Beverage
- Participation Cost: €360
- Submission Deadline: May 30
The Olymp Awards is a new, ambitious international food competition based in Athens. Participants can compete in categories for taste and packaging. The organizing team is the same as that of the London and Paris Honey Awards, led by George Kouvelis.
Athens Fine Food Awards (AFFA Awards)
- Website: Athens Fine Food Awards
- Location: Athens, Greece
- Type: Food and Beverage
- Participation Cost: €80
- Submission Deadline: December 10
The AFFA Awards are the premier awards for small-scale food production in Greece. Organized by the team behind the EXPOTROF food exhibition, these awards aim to gather, record, and promote Greek food products, providing essential recognition and encouragement for Greek producers.
Conclusion
As we have seen, there are various honey competitions, each with its own level of recognition and communicative reach. It is up to each participant to choose the competition that will truly highlight their product and make it known to a wider audience. Proper use of the award and its prudent communication on social media are essential to justify the participation cost and effort. Honey awards should not just be another sticker on the label or a sponsored story on Instagram. They are a valuable promotional tool that, if used correctly, can elevate your product to new heights.
