Praised for its attractive colour and smooth creamy mouthfeel, Ballyrashane Salted Butter won the two star award. The judges said: “We ate it thickly spread. It is creamy, beautifully salted and full of deep grass-filled buttery notes. A fabulous example of butter and one which we really enjoyed judging.”

The four one star awards went to Ballyrashane Buttermilk, Double Cream, Semi-Skimmed Milk, and Whole Milk. During the Great Taste awards, each product is assessed by a judging panel of more than 500 experts – chefs, buyers, food writers and retailers – all looking for ‘truly great taste’.

Lakeland Dairies processes over 1.8 billion litres of milk per year. Its foodservice products are developed with the professional in mind, delivering ‘high-quality, yet functional products’ to busy kitchens and bakeries around the world.

Donal Harte, marketing director at Lakeland Dairies, said: “For Great Taste to recognise five of our products in this way is really exciting, and a great acknowledgement of our farmers’ hard work and expertise, and our meticulous production methods. For a dairy co-operative like ours, it’s very rewarding to know that everyone’s efforts, skills and experience are appreciated.”