Cork Stars at Irish Food Awards

Former chef, manager and hotel owner Declan Ryan, who earned Ireland’s first Michelin star in 1974 alongside his wife Patsy at Arbutus Lodge, Cork, was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Good Food Ireland Awards in the K Club.

County Cork took home the most awards with Ballymaloe House Hotel named Culinary Haven of the Year, as well as receiving the Excellence in Food Tourism award for its cookery school, organic farm and gardens. Five Farms Irish Cream won Drinks Producer of the Year, and The Lifeboat Inn won the public-voted Food Lovers Choice Award for the Wild Atlantic Way region.

A special award for an outstanding contribution to Irish food and drink internationally was made to Tallaght-born chef Anna Haugh, whose “Myrtles” restaurant in Chelsea, London, features Irish food produce and her distinctive Irish cuisine.

The Europe Hotel & Resort in County Kerry received Supreme Award of The Year.

The Firm were delighted to present their sponsored Food Truck Award to winners Patrick and Aileen Hanley who operate Seabiscuit at Cahore Strand, Co. Wexford.

Guest of Honour Simon Coveney, T.D., Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment, told the 300 guests that tourism and food production benefited every community and parish in Ireland, employing almost 430,000 people. Minister Coveney is pictured with Margaret Jeffares, founder and managing director of Good Food Ireland.

The Apple Farm in Tipperary was named the overall Producer of the Year, and Eamon Sheehan from Bawnlusk Dairy Farm in Kilkenny was recognised for Outstanding Contribution to Food Production.

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 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 – proudly sponsored by Kerrygold, Irish Farmers Association, Bord Bia, Tourism Ireland and National Dairy Council – were opened by guest of honour Simon Coveney T.D., Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Anita Mendiratta, Special Advisor to the Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, delivered the afternoon’s Key Note speech.

The full list of winners is:

• HOTEL OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY IRISH HEREFORD PRIME: THE EUROPE HOTEL & RESORT, KERRY
• CULINARY HAVEN OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY WATERFORD: BALLYMALOE HOUSE HOTEL, CORK
• CULINARY HAVEN OF THE YEAR, SPECIAL AWARD: KILLEAVY CASTLE ESTATE, ARMAGH
• RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY WATERFORD: WOODRUFF RESTAURANT, DUBLIN
• CAFÉ OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY BALLYMALOE FOODS: FARMHOUSE CAFÉ & BAKERY, DUBLIN
• PUB OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY IRISHCENTRAL: MIKEY RYAN’S BAR & KITCHEN, TIPPERARY
• SHOP OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY IRISHCENTRAL: FIRECASTLE, KILDARE
• FOOD TRUCK OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY THE FIRM HOSPITALITY RECRUITMENT: SEABISCUIT AT THE STRAND CAHORE, WEXFORD
• SUSTAINABILITY AWARD,  TOURISM HOSPITALITY – SPONSORED BY KERRYGOLD: BROOKLODGE & MACREDDIN VILLAGE, WICKLOW
• SUSTAINABILITY AWARD,  FOOD PRODUCTION – SPONSORED BY KERRYGOLD: O’ SHEA FARMS, KILKENNY

Producer Awards:

• MEAT PRODUCER OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY IFAC: MARKET HOUSE ENNISTYMON, CLARE
• FRUIT & VEGETABLE PRODUCER OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY IFAC: THE APPLE FARM, TIPPERARY
• FISH & SEAFOOD PRODUCER OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY ROE & CO: REALT NA MARA SHELLFISH, KERRY
• DRINKS PRODUCER OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY THE K CLUB: FIVE FARMS IRISH CREAM, CORK
• DAIRY PRODUCER OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY THE K CLUB: KILLOWEN FARM, WEXFORD
• JAMS & SAVOURY PRODUCER OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY ROE & CO: WILD IRISH FORAGERS & PRESERVERS, OFFALY
• BAKERY & CHOCOLATE PRODUCER OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY ROE & CO: JINNY’S BAKERY & TEA ROOMS, LEITRIM
• PRODUCER OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY IFA: THE APPLE FARM, TIPPERARY
• EXCELLENCE IN FOOD TOURISM AWARD – SPONSORED BY TOURISM IRELAND: BALLYMALOE COOKERY SCHOOL ORGANIC FARM & GARDENS, CORK
• FOOD LOVERS CHOICE AWARD –SPONSORED BY FBD INSURANCE:
  • WILD ATLANTIC WAY – THE LIFEBOAT INN, CORK
  • IRELAND’S ANCIENT EAST – BROGAN’S BUTCHERS, MEATH
  • IRELAND’S HIDDEN HEARTLANDS  – WILDE IRISH CHOCOLATES, CLARE
  • DUBLIN  – KEOGH’S FARM CRISPS, DUBLIN
  • NORTHERN IRELAND  – BUSHMILLS INN, ANTRIM
• OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO FOOD PRODUCTION – SPONSORED BY NATIONAL DAIRY COUNCIL: EAMON SHEEHAN, BAWNLUSK DAIRY FARM, KILKENNY
• OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO IRISH FOOD AND DRINK INTERNATIONALLY – SPONSORED BY BORD BIA: ANNA HAUGH, LONDON, UK
• LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – SPONSORED BY PURE CORK: DECLAN RYAN, CORK
• SUPREME AWARD OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY KERRYGOLD®: THE EUROPE HOTEL & RESORT, KERRY