Best of Hungary is a family-run UK specialist in Hungarian food and wine. We work directly with artisan producers, family farms and boutique wineries, selecting products through sourcing visits, tastings and long-term producer relationships. Our specialist retail business has received wine industry recognition, while individual foods and wines in our range have earned awards in their own right.
This page brings together selected awards, nominations and published features, with links to original results and sources wherever available. Product awards relate to the named food or wine and, where applicable, the specific vintage and award year.
Great Taste Awards & Food Recognition
43 Great Taste Awards Across 2024–2026
The Guild of Fine Food's directory lists 43 Great Taste award results under Best of Hungary for 2024–2026, including six 3-star awards.
| Award Year | 1-Star Awards | 2-Star Awards | 3-Star Awards | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
| 2025 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 12 |
| 2026 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 23 |
| Total | 26 | 11 | 6 | 43 |
These are award results across three years, rather than 43 different products: some products have received recognition in more than one year. This is not our lifetime award total.
Customers can check the products, award years and star ratings in the official Guild of Fine Food awards directory.
Great Taste Golden Fork Nominations
Two products represented by Best of Hungary have also been nominated for the Golden Fork from the Rest of Europe:
- Nativus Venison Salami with Black Truffle – nominee in 2024.
- Rubin Sweet Smoked Paprika Powder – nominee in 2026.
Great Taste Recognition Across Our Food Range
Award-winning products can be found across our paprika, charcuterie, organic rice, cold-pressed oils, raw honey and gourmet food collections. Relevant product pages provide the award year and star rating where applicable.
Wine Retailer & Buying Recognition
IWC Specialist Merchant of the Year 2022 – Southern & Eastern Europe
The International Wine Challenge named Best of Hungary IWC Specialist Merchant of the Year 2022 – Southern & Eastern Europe. This award recognised our specialist wine retail business.
Highly Commended – IWC 'Unsung' Specialist of the Year 2025
Best of Hungary was Highly Commended in the IWC 'Unsung' Specialist of the Year category in 2025, a category for specialists in smaller wine categories.
Decanter Specialist Retailer Runner-Up – 2020, 2021 & 2022
Best of Hungary was runner-up in the Central & Eastern Europe Specialist Retailer of the Year category at the Decanter Retailer Awards in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
In its 2022 results, Decanter's judges praised our work introducing customers to the diversity of the category.
Zoltan Kopacsi – Wine Buyers Awards 2023 Shortlist
Best of Hungary co-founder Zoltan Kopacsi was shortlisted in the Rising Star category at the 2023 Wine Buyers Awards. The awards, associated with the London Wine Fair, recognise professional wine buyers across the UK trade.
Zoltan leads our wine selection and works directly with Hungarian winemakers and wine educators.
Decanter World Wine Awards Recognition for Individual Wines
Wine competition medals recognise individual wines and vintages, separately from our retailer awards.
For example, Gróf Degenfeld Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos received 97 points and a Platinum medal for its 2017 vintage. Decanter featured that vintage in its selection of the world's best sweet wines, identifying Best of Hungary as a UK stockist.
Please check the individual wine page for the vintage currently offered and its relevant awards.
Published Features & Case Studies
Guild of Fine Food Great Taste Case Study – November 2025
The Guild of Fine Food published a Best of Hungary Great Taste case study on 26 November 2025.
The feature includes founder Monika Gyenes' account of using judges' feedback to support product selection and development, working with producer partners and introducing the Monika's Kitchen range.
Decanter Feature on Our Hungarian Wine Portfolio
In a feature showcasing our Hungarian wine portfolio, Decanter described Best of Hungary as having the largest Hungarian wine portfolio in the UK. The feature introduced medal-winning wines and our relationships with boutique wineries across Hungarian wine regions, including Tokaj.
How We Select Our Food & Wine
Awards provide useful independent evidence of flavour and specialist retail expertise. We also consider provenance, ingredients, production methods and consistency, drawing on producer visits, tastings and long-term supplier relationships.
Learn more about our founders and sourcing philosophy on our About Us page, or read about our approach to quality and product authenticity. Individual product pages provide the most relevant information about each food or wine.