I was privileged recently to be invited to, I thought observe, a food awards judging. This took a twist when it turns out I was actually included in the judging panel. How cool!

It ended up being a fascinating learning experience and a great insight into the complex process of judging. While this is an obviously technically challenging operation which must coordinate perishable items to a location, though a preparation process to end up in front of judges, this was further complicated by the fact this this was the Free From Food Awards.

It was not just about how good something tasted and looked but also the degree to which it was free from various types of allergens. We are not talking vegan or vegetarian here we are talking about possibly life threatening ingredients which manufacturers need to exclude while still producing something familiar, tasty and nutritious.

All I could really bring to the table was the perspective of taste, smell and appearance - all still important qualities but I was so impressed by the diverse set of skills and experience the real judges brought to the process. From an "allergy mum" to someone with personal several allergies working for a free from provider to producers and retailers. At other sessions there were also nutritionists.

It further illustrated to me how important and valuable a well structured judging process is for awards and just how important good judges are. Winning awards is actually pretty hard and when you enter one you want to know that you've been given a fair shake. Also, knowing why you did or didn't win with useful feedback is hugely valuable and the FFFA go to great lengths to capture the judge's feedback and provide it to the entrants who range from huge supermarkets with own label products to small individual producers battling to find a place in the market.

I was impressed by how the entrants were consistently able to produce tasty products in some cases free from the "top 14" allergens and more. Producing and testing these products is complicated and expensive and its great to see an awards process which allows consumers to benefit from the wisdom and experience of the judging panel when facing options in the various categories.

Selfishly, of course, I was looking for ways to see how Evessio might be further improved to fit the process. We have been lucky to work with the FFFA for a few years already facilitating the entry, delivery and adjudication and we are looking at bringing some additional enhancements for the product receiving process, dynamic results publication and enhanced feedback.

What a great experience affirming to me just how valuable awards can be!