A yoghurt made by Marybelle Dairy in Suffolk has been named Supreme Champion in the 2013 Great Taste Awards.

Marybelle’s Greek-style natural yoghurt was chosen from among 9,738 food and drink products entered for the contest, held annually since 1994.

It had already been named as one of only 125 recipients this year of a top three-star Golden Taste Award and as one of the top 50 products in the UK.

The result of the overall championship, sponsored by Harrods, was announced at the Great Taste Golden Fork dinner at the Royal Gardens Hotel in Kensington, attended by hundreds of food producers, speciality food buyers, fine food retailers, chefs and food journalists.

Candidates for the championship were the subject of multiple blind tastings by a panel of more than 30 expert judges.

John Farrand, managing director of The Guild of Fine Food, which organises the awards, said: “It’s fair to say that this yoghurt had our judges in raptures. It is plain and simple, has nothing added and relies 100% on the quality of the milk from which it’s made.

“Our Great Taste judges felt that this incredible dairy product was worthy of the top award and our huge congratulations go the Strachan family and their farm partners for this amazing achievement for the British dairy industry.”

The yoghurt was described by author and food journalist Xanthe Clay as: “A product so exciting, it is the totally plain lifted into the special category ? it is glorious and Britain should be celebrating dairy products like this”.

The final judging panel included BBC MasterChef judge Charles Campion, Harrods food chief Bruce Langlands, Fortnum & Mason grocery buyer Sam Rosen Nash and Woman & Home food editor Jane Curran.

The Strachan family set up Marybelle Dairy at Rendham Hall Farm near Saxmundham to provide a long-term outlet for milk from their own Holstein and Jersey herds. The business now takes milk from three other Suffolk farms too.