TWO Monmouthshire businesses are celebrating after scooping prizes at the 2011 Great Taste Awards.

Trealy Farm Charcuterie, based in Mitchel Troy near Monmouth and Clams Hand Made Cakes, based near Abergavenny, were among only four food and drink producers in Wales to take home the Three-star Gold award for their outstanding quality of food and drink products.

Described as the ‘oscars’ of the food world the one, two and three star gold awards are awarded to producers around the UK by a judging panel of 350 food retailers, critics and writers who tastes over 7,000 products.

Cake maker Jane Phillips, of Clam’s Hand Made Cakes impressed judges with her luxurious Belgian chocolate brownie. Judges described it as having a ‘good chewy and sticky consistency with a very pleasing aroma.’ Ms Phillips, who runs the business with her son Lewis, produces around 3,000 cakes a week. The company has supplied cakes to top people’s stores Selfridges, Fortnum and Mason and Harvey Nichols and also runs For The Love of Cakes coffee shop, Frogmore Street, Abergavenny.

Ms Phillips said: "We are delighted to have won the award."

Trealy Farm Charcuterie, which uses local free-range meat to produce all types of continental-style hams and sausages, won its award for its Beech Smoked Air Dried Ham.

The company's co-founder, James Swift, said: We're thrilled to win a Gold award and to also take home a One Star for our dried Welsh mountain lamb."

Both are nominated for the coveted Great Taste Golden Forks awards which will be announced at a ceremony in London on September 5.