Outstanding Offaly food company wins key award at Good Food Ireland event
An outstanding Offaly food company has won a key award at Good Food Ireland event
The Offaly Company Wild Irish Forager’s & Preservers have been crowned Jams & Savoury Producer of the Year at the Good Food Ireland Awards.
The Good Food Ireland Awards celebrate the successful collaboration of agri-food and tourism working together for inclusive economic growth.
The Jams & Savoury Producer of the Year Award (sponsored by Roe & Co) won by Wild Irish Forager’s & Preservers who are based in Shinrone. It recognises producers for their premium produce and commitment to Irish provenance, leading the field in their production ethos, cultivation and catch practices and the top-quality produce it results in. Good Food Ireland judges acknowledged producers with a focus on environmental sustainability, preservation and collaboration with the local community.
Award winners were selected through mystery inspections and assessments of those businesses approved by Good Food Ireland and shortlisted by an independent panel of Irish and International leaders including Founder and Managing Director of Good Food Ireland, Margaret Jeffares, journalists John Wilson and Amii McKeever, IFAC Consultant Stephanie Walsh and Executive Chairman and Owner of Odyssey International Kevin Shannon. Members of the public also cast their votes online for their favourite places across the island of Ireland in the Food Lovers Choice Awards.
Returning for the first time since pre-Covid, the awards, were opened by guest of honour, Simon Coveney T.D., Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and attended by some 300 guests including business owners, Irish and international chefs, buyers, food and drink writers, media and industry leaders. Anita Mendiratta, Special Advisor to the Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, delivered the afternoon’s Key Note speech.
Margaret Jeffares, said, "There has been great excitement around the return of the Good Food Ireland Awards this year. Each of those wonderful businesses who made the shortlist are a committed collection of passionate and driven people who genuinely capture the essence of Ireland's food and drink. All the judges would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to today’s winners who we feel really do go above and beyond to inspire travellers, international consumers and locals to seek out real authenticity and Irish provenance.”
Paul Heery, General Manager of The K Club, added: “It has been an absolute pleasure to host the business lunch for the Good Food Ireland Awards and see our hotel bursting with some of our country’s greatest food champions. Such hard work and passion goes into the production and provision of food and drink across our shores, to see that care and commitment properly recognised and the support businesses give to one another is a very special thing.”