Renowned food expert and TV personality Merlin Griffiths has awarded Barti Spiced Rum a gold Badge at this year’s Great British Food Awards.

The team behind Barti Rum is proud to announce that they have been awarded a gold accolade at the Great British Food Awards 2024 within the spirits category for its spiced rum.

The winning entry from West Wales, will now be regarded as one of the very best products available within the UK’s exciting food and drink sector in 2024.

Barti Spiced is a rum described by its creators as the most flavourful spiced rum on the market. A symphony of classic spices such as vibrant vanilla, subtle cinnamon and sweet citrus are combined and infused with wild picked laver seaweed, the seaweed serves to lift and enhance the traditional warming taste and make the drink exceptionally smooth. Barti boasts it’s chameleon like ability to be savoured as a sipping drink, while being equally enjoyable and unlost with a mixer or cocktail.

The item was judged by top industry expert Merlin Griffiths who some will know as the head bar tender in Channel 4’s First Dates. Griffiths also runs a chain of successful bars in the North of England.

Category judge Merlin Griffiths described Barti Rum as follows:

“What a wonderful spiced spirit Barti is. It has lashings of vanilla, citrus, cinnamon and cloves all underpinned by a subtle umami note from Welsh seaweed. Satisfying both neat on the rocks, and in Daiquiri or Swizzle. Add solid eco credentials and stylish packaging, and we have really fun spiced rum. Truly excellent spiced spirit.”

Having been awarded the highest accolade within the Great British Food Awards 2024, Barti Spiced Rum will now be promoted across Great British Food’s print, online and social channels in celebration of its achievement.

Of the win, Fran Barnikel, managing director at Barti Rum said:

“This is an enormous badge of honour for our much loved spiced rum. There are so many wonderful spirit brands in the UK today, to get this recognition nationally is really very special. We’re glad the judges like it as much as we do!”

Barti’s win comes within the first weeks of the product appearing on the shelves of Tesco regionally in Wales. The now award winning Barti Spiced as well as a second product, Barti Cream Liqueur launched in Tesco in September this year and Tesco shoppers cannot get enough of it, so much so that shelves are starting to become sparse while the Tesco supply system struggles to keep abreast of orders to fulfil demand.

Paul Johns, store manager in Haverfordwest stated:

“Sales are excellent! I’m struggling to keep up with it!”

Sources suggest that huge surges in sales in hot spot areas is seriously unusual for a newly listed product, so much so it’s causing the algorithm which generates orders to get confused leading to empty space in store where the bottles should be. Barti Cream has been the main victim of this meaning shoppers are struggling to get their fix of the unique, creamy, plant-based liqueur. Not ideal given the creators behind it struggled to keep at this very same time last year when Barti Cream was initially launched.

Erin at Barti Rum said:

“People actually call it the great Barti cream drought of 2023, we really don’t want to be in that situation again.”

Barti Spiced, winner of the Great British Food award for “Best Rum” is available from lots of brilliant independent stockists around the country, Tesco and Co-op in Wales, and of course online at www.bartirum.wales for updates and serve suggestions follow @bartirum on social media.