B-well Pure Canola Oil has scooped Double Gold at the 2026 South African Food & Beverage Awards following an independent blind tasting by local and international judges.
Held in partnership with the Aurora International Taste Challenge, the awards recognise products that stand out for their taste, quality and consistency, with judges assessing each entry without knowing the brand behind it.
“Our aim has always been to produce a canola oil that consumers can rely on every time they cook,” says Morné Botes, Commercial Director at Southern Oil. “Receiving Double Gold through a blind tasting is especially rewarding because it recognises the product on its own merits. For us, it’s an independent endorsement of the consistency we’ve worked hard to achieve.”
This year’s judging panel included well-known names such as Jenny Morris and Tiaan Langenegger, alongside respected industry experts, with products assessed as consumers would experience them in everyday life.
While the award recognises the finished product, it also reflects the work that goes into ensuring every bottle delivers the same quality and performance. For Tersia Joubert, Lead Research and Development Technologist at Southern Oil, that starts long before the product reaches supermarket shelves.
“Cooking oil is one of the ingredients people use almost every day, yet it’s often overlooked. Our job is to make sure it performs consistently in the kitchen while letting the ingredients and flavours of a meal do the talking. That’s what makes this recognition especially rewarding.”
The South African Food & Beverage Awards recognise products that stand out through an independent evaluation process benchmarked against local and international standards. By removing branding from the judging process, the awards give consumers confidence that winning products have earned recognition on merit alone.
“As consumers continue to seek products they can trust for quality, performance and consistency, B-well Pure Canola Oil remains focused on delivering that confidence in every bottle, today and into the future,” concludes Botes.
