Matsudai Ramen Scoops Coveted 3 Star Great Taste Award for Rayu Chilli Oil

Today it was announced that Matsudai Ramen'‘s Rayu Chilli Oil has been awarded THREE STARS at the Guild of Fine Food's 2026 Great Taste Awards: the highest possible rating, reserved for products judged to be “extraordinarily tasty”.

The judges described it as: "Stunning… as good as it gets. We had no shame going from tasting to eating!”

I’ve worked with James since the very early days of Matsudai (more on that here) - from sell-out pop-ups and the launch of the nationwide ramen kits, to opening the permanent restaurant in Grangetown and to date, shipping close to 50,000 home ramen kits across the UK.

Watching the business grow has been a genuine privilege, and I know just how much care, thought and slightly obsessive attention to detail James and the team put into everything they make.

I’m also a Great Taste judge myself, so I know how rigorous the judging process is. Products are tasted blind, scrutinised by panels of chefs, buyers, retailers, food writers and other industry experts. This year, 15,038 products were entered and just 2% received three stars.

And, before anyone asks: no, I was absolutely not involved in judging James’s rayu! 😂

I am, however, very familiar with eating it. It’s the chilli oil I use in one of my favourite quick lunches: a ten-minute rice noodle salad slathered in the stuff. Salty, smoky, sesame-packed and full of umami, it turns an extremely simple bowl of noodles into something I look forward to eating on WFH days.

This was a thoroughly deserved result for one of Cardiff’s most distinctive independent food businesses - and a brilliant example of a product made here in Wales standing confidently alongside the very best in the UK. Massive congratulations to James and the Matsudai team.

Oh - and here's the noodle salad recipe if you fancy trying it! x