KEY POINTS:
The mainstay of ice cream flavours - vanilla - has won the top prize at the 2008 New Zealand Ice Cream Awards.
Entered by Invercargill business Deep South, the standard vanilla flavour impressed judges more than a raft of other more exotic choices.
At an event in Christchurch tonight, Deep South was also named as winner of the Best in Category prize for their standard chocolate and hokey pokey ice creams.
The awards attracted a record 206 entries, with judging having taken place in Auckland between May 7 and May 9.
International judging guidelines were followed with each ice cream being awarded a maximum 100 points, with points deducted for imperfections in appearance, body and texture, flavour and melting defects.
The champion Deep South standard vanilla also won the Best Standard Vanilla ice cream category this year for the sixth time running.
The Open Creative category was one of the more unusual, attracting flavours such as peanut butter, bacon and egg and Mexican.
Tip Top's Peanut Butter Nutter won Open Creative Best Overall prize.
- NZPA
