After an intense two weeks of tasting and assessment, the FreeFrom Food Awards judging panels have chosen just under 170 freefrom foods to go on the 2012 shortlist.

"We had some fantastically interesting entries this year,' says Michelle Berriedale-Johnson, editor of FoodsMatter.com, chair of the judging sessions. "Many of them have really pushed the boundaries of ‘freefrom’ manufacture and have made it extremely hard for our judges to choose winners."

Over 300 products were entered in the 17 categories of the awards which include staples such as bread, pasta and breakfast cereals, indulgence products such as cakes, cupcakes, brownies and chocolates, a new ‘raw food and superfood category’, bulging ready meals and ‘plant milk’ categories (including milk, ice cream, yogurt and spread all made from this year’s plant of the year, coconut) and, of course, the ever popular gluten-free beer category.  

The judges included professional foodies (manufacturers, chefs and cookery writers), medics (dietitians and nutritionists) coeliacs and allergy sufferers.

The winners of the 2012 FreeFrom Food Awards, including the winner of the FAIR trophy of the Best FreeFrom Food 2012 (won last year by Doves Farm for their gluten-free self raising flour blend) will be announced and presented with their certificates by Antony Worrall Thompson at an invitation-only party in West India Dock on April 17th.

The full shortlist is as follows:

The Innovation Award

Bessant & Drury Fine Ice Cream Co. – Lemon
Bessant & Drury Fine Ice Cream Co. – Chocolate
Bessant & Drury Fine Ice Cream Co. – Vanilla
BoojaBooja – Banoffee Toffee Truffles 
Conscious Chocolates – Wild at Heart
CoYo – Coconut Milk Yoghurt – Natural 
CoYo – Coconut Milk Yoghurt – Mixed Berry
Foodswild – Cornish Stinger Nettle Beer
Knead Bakery – Carrot Cake
Provamel Botanicals – Alternative to Yoghurt Apple & Green Tea
The Foodamentalists – Brown Bread Mix 
Triano Brands – Tofutti Ricotta Soya Cheese Alternative

Dairy and/or lactose-free animal milk, butter, yogurt – sponsored by Swedish Glace

Delamere Dairy – Natural Goats Yoghurt 
Delamere Dairy – Semi-Skimmed Goats Milk
Delamere Dairy – Goats Butter     
Woodlands Dairy – Gooseberry & Elderflower with Natural Sheep Milk Yoghurt
Woodlands Dairy – Rhubarb & Ginger with Natural Sheep Milk Yoghurt

Plant 'milk', spread & cheese – sponsored by Pure Dairy Free

Bessant & Drury Fine Ice Cream Co. – Chocolate
Bessant & Drury Fine Ice Cream Co. – Lemon
CoYo – Coconut Yoghurt Natural
CoYo – Coconut Yoghurt Mixed Berry
Delamere Dairy – Sweetened Soya Milk 
Essence of Eden – Virgin Coconut Oil
Higher Nature – Omega Excellence Organic Virgin Coconut Butter
Its Only Natural – Fruit Freezies Orange and Mango 
Kara Dairy Free – Alternative to Milk Original + Calcium
Vegusto – Melty Dairy-Free Cheese
Vegusto – Mild Aromatic Dairy-Free Cheese
Vegusto – Dairy-free cheese sauce 

FreeFrom Breakfast Cereals – sponsored by Fria Gluten Free

Bob’s Red Mill – Pure Traditional Oats
Groovy Food Company – Corn Flakes
Groovy Food Company – Choco Crispies
Juvela – Fibre Flakes
Morrisons – FreeFrom Gluten Free Oats
Nature’s Path – Maple Sunrise
Sainsbury’s – FreeFrom Oaty Granola
Tesco – FreeFrom Special Flakes

Gluten-free breads and bread mixes – sponsored by Genius Gluten Free 

Butterfly Snacks – Gluten Free Rottis (Naan/Bread Wrap)
Crazy Bakers Bundies Brothers – Brown Bread Rolls
Finax – Oat Bread Mix
Fria – Grova Dark Seeded Sliced Loaf
Fria – Grov Minibaguette Dark Seeded Roll
Glutafin – Gluten Free Wheat Free 4 Fibre Rolls
Juvela – Gluten-Free All Purpose White Mix
Sainsbury’s – FreeFrom Soft White Seeded Rolls

Gluten-free pasta and pizza bases/mixes – sponsored by Tesco

Bob’s Red Mill – GF Wholegrain Pizza Crust Mix
Co-operative Foods – FreeFrom Fusilli
Doves Farm Foods – Organic Tricolore Pasta  
Eskal Foods – Corn Pasta
Farabella – Acini di Pepe/Pasta Grains
Molino di Ferro – La Veneziane Penne

Freefrom foods manufactured for food service – sponsored by Livwell

Costa  – Gluten Free Fruit Cake
Doves Farm Foods – Gluten Free Plain White Flour Blend without Buckwheat
Doves Farm Foods – Organic Brown Rice Penne
Foodamentalists – Golden Batter Mix
Red House Foods – Gluten Free Chicken Bites
Sauces of Choice – Sauces for Kids Tikka Sauce
Triano Brands – Tofutti Grated Mozzarella Soya Cheese Alternative

Freefrom Ingredients – sponsored by Juvela

Anila’s Sauces – Goan Green Sauce
Black Farmer – Spicy Muscovado sauce 
Bob’s Red Mill – Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour
Clearspring – Kuzu Gluten Free Starch Thickener 
Finax – Psyllium
Go Free Foods – Pancake Mix
Mesquite Company – Pure Mesquite Pod Flour
Pepper & Stew – Jollof  Sauce
Sauces of Choice – Balsamic & Garlic Sauce 

Raw foods and superfoods – sponsored by Asda

Elements for Life – Raw Chocolate Making Kit
Elements for Life – Spiced Hot Chocolate
Higher Nature – Omega Excellence Raw Organic Walnut Butter 
inSpiral – Raw Blackout Tart 
inSpiral – Raw Dehydrated Kale Chips: Cheesie Purple Corn
James White Drinks – Beet It Organic Stamina Shot
Mesquite Company – Pure Mesquite Pod Flour
Pulsin' – Beond Organic Acai Berry Bar
Raw Health – Organic Chia & Flax Dippers 
The Living Food Kitchen – Raw Hummus

Gluten-free savoury pies, flans, sausages and ready meals – sponsored by Delamere Dairy

Meat-based meal centres:

Black Farmer – Pork Meatballs
Black Farmer – Pork, Onion & Chive Sausages
Cloughbane Farm – Gluten Free Beef Sausages
Cloughbane Farm – Gluten Free Steak Burgers
Co-operative Foods – Truly Irresistible Pork Sausages
Co-operative Foods – Truly Irresistible Minted Lamb Burgers   

Pies, flans, pizzas, one pot meals:

Amy’s Kitchen – Gluten Free Vegetable Lasagne
Amy’s Kitchen – Gluten Free Bean and Rice Burrito
Butterfly Snacks – Gluten Free Chicken Spring Rolls
Dee's – Organic Omega Burger 
Dr Schar – Gluten Free Tortellini
Dr Schar – Gluten Free Bonta d’Italia Margherita Pizza
Easy Bean – New Mexican Chilli Fairtrade Red Bean with Sweet Pepper One Pot Meal
Foodamentalists – Pork, Black Pudding & Caramelised Red Onion Pie
Genius – Mozzarella Cheese & Tomato Pizza
Gluten Free Kitchen – Ovencrust Steak Pie
Gluten Free Kitchen – Ovencrust Chicken & Bacon Pie
stewed! – Chickpea, Sweet Potato & Feta One Pot Meal
The Food Resource – Fusilli al Funghi
Worthenshaws – Chicken Tikka with Brown Basmati Rice
Worthenshaws – Thai Green Vegetable Curry with Brown Basmati Rice

Gluten-free savoury biscuits and snacks – sponsored by Genon Laboratories

Amisa – Multiseed Crisp Bread
Conscious Foods – Millet Crackers with Rosemary
Crazy Bakers – Half Pipes Swedish Crispbreads
Darling Spuds – Fire Roasted Jalapeno Crisps
Darling Spuds – Sour Cream with a hint of Mexican Chilli
Darling Spuds – Tomato, Olive & Oregano
Juvela – Crostini Bites

Gluten-free scones, sweet tarts, Bakewells, cake bars, muffins etc sponsored by Tesco

Asda – FreeFrom All Butter Lemon Sicilian Shortbread
Conscious Foods – Ginger Thins
Co-operative Foods – FreeFrom Triple Chocolate Cookies
Co-operative Foods – FreeFrom Fruited Teacakes 4 Pack
Crazy Bakers – Oaties
Heavenly Cakes – Gluten & Wheat Free Millionaires
Molino di Ferro – La Veneziane Coconut Biscotti 
Morrisons – FreeFrom 6 Assorted Jam Tarts 
Sugargrain – Almond, Apricot and Tahini Flapjack
Sweetcheeks – Almondies
Tesco – FreeFrom Chocolate Chip Cookies
Tesco – FreeFrom Ginger Cookies

Gluten-free cakes and mixes – sponsored by Mrs Crimbles 

The Brilliant Bakers – Cupcake Gift Cake
Cake Angels – Traditional Cherry & Almond Cake
The Cake Crusader – Gluten, Wheat and Dairy Free Carrot Cake
The Cake Crusader– Rich Fruit Cake
Cakes Divine – Dairy & Gluten Free Carrot Cupcakes
Cariad Cakes – Gluten Free Orchard Plum & Ginger Cake
Fria – Kladdkaka Chocolate Brownie Cake
Incognito Cakes – Choc Fudge Cake
Incognito Cakes – White Choc Raspberry Muffins
Lewis & Cooper – Gluten-free Fruit Cake
Ms Cupcake – Cupcakes
Sainsbury’s – FreeFrom Chocolate Chip Muffins
Steph’s Free From Cakes – Lemon Drizzle Cake
Sugargrain – Banana & Chocolate Chip Loaf 
Sweetcheeks – Maple & Pecan Cupcakes

Gluten-free puddings, desserts & cheesecakes – sponsored by Hale & Hearty

Food Heaven – Summer Fruits Cheesecake
Food Heaven – Sicilian Lemon Cheesecake
Tideford Organics – Butterscotch Rice Pudding     
Mamma Cucina – Mango & Passionfruit Non-Dairy Cheesecake      

Dairy/gluten-free chocolate and snack bars – sponsored by Tesco

Biona – Organic Sour Snakes
Booja Booja – Rum Sozzled Sultana Chocolate Truffles
Celtic Chocolates – Choices FreeFrom White Choc Easter Egg & Buttons
Conscious Chocolates – Essential Orange
Eskal Foods – Chocolate Coated Pretzels
Eskal Foods – Yoghurt Coated Pretzels
Gourmelli – Secret Passion Organic Strawberry Dark Chocolate Bar 74%
Kinnerton – Dairy, Egg, Gluten and Nut Free Bar
Nut Free Chocolatier – Pomegranate & Elderflower Truffles
Pulsin’ – Raw Choc Brownie 
Tickety Boo Cakes – Roo’s Crunch

Dairy/gluten-free Christmas foods – sponsored by Produced in Italy

Cariad Cakes – Christmas Cake 
Conscious Chocolate – Cherry Christmas
Christine’s Puddings – Rum and Ale Pudding 
Foodamentalists – Frangipane Mince Pies 
Friendly Food and Drink – Xmas chutney
Genius – Gluten-free mince pies  
Lewis and Cooper – Plum Pudding
Livwell – Christmas cake    
Morrison's – FreeFrom Christmas pudding 
OK Foods – FreeFrom Mince Pies     
Pyman Pates – Chicken liver with port, brandy and cranberries
The Heavenly Cake Company – Christmas cake

Gluten-free beer – sponsored by Asda

Daas – Ambre Beer
Daas – Blond Beer
Foodswild – Cornish Stinger Nettle Beer 
Gluten-Free Shop – Ambar
Green’s – Bottle Refermented Blonde Ale
Green’s – Premium Golden Ale
Wold Top – Against the Grain