A Cirencester business has been given an early Christmas present as their panettone has received a My Guild The Great Taste Award.

Non Solo Pasta's puttanesca pasta sauce also picked up a two-star outstanding rating, achieved by fewer than 10 per cent of entries.

Matteo Conte and Clara Cardillo started off selling their produce at Cirencester Farmer's Market, and now also run a stall at the Five Valleys Shopping Centre in Stroud as well as Italian restaurant Terra - located in Sandersons Boutique in the centre. 

Clara said of their Great Taste Award: “It is a great achievement and we are very proud of how far our little company has come in the space of three years. 

"Awards are nice but it is the customers satisfaction that we enjoy the most, we already have orders for this year’s Christmas panettone’s, while the puttanesca remains one of the favourite sauces purchased at Non Solo Pasta.”

The Great Taste judging panel is made up of more than 500 food and drink professionals, spanning chefs, recipe creators, critics, journalists, buyers and broadcasters, with the 2022 line-up including head buyers from prestigious department stores Selfridges and Fortnum and Mason, as well as restaurateurs and food writers.

The south west region, which includes Gloucestershire, won a total of 529 awards after being blind-tasted by over 500 judges - achieving 29 three-star awards, 159 two-star awards and 341 one-star awards.

Panettone is an Italian type of sweet bread originally from Milan, usually prepared and enjoyed for Christmas and New Year in Italy. Its popularity in the UK has been on the rise since the likes of well-known Italian chefs such as Gino D’Campo and Jamie Oliver’s friend Gennaro Contaldo have extolled delights of the popular European festive cake.

More information about Non Solo Pasta can be found at nonsolopasta.co.uk