HAPPY PIGS BUT WHERE ARE ALL THE IRISH APPLES?
Irish Food Writers' Guild Food Award Winners Announced

Irish, artisan producers are the unsung heroes of the food industry in Ireland, but need support from the commercial sector to ensure their survival. This was the view of Myrtle Allen, one of the pioneers of the movement to promote locally produced Irish food, who addressed guests at the Irish Food Writer's Guild Food awards in March 2012.The Irish Food Awards, of which five were presented at a ceremony attended by The Minister for Agriculture, Marine and Food, have been cited as the most important and impartial of their kind in Ireland.

From happy pigs to placid cows � the five award winners represent a wide range of enterprises. Those awarded for standards of excellence and for their exceptional contribution to Ireland's reputation as a top food-producing country were:

Castlemine Farm for Castlemine Farm Free Range Pork (Roscommon); Patrick & Carol Rooney for Derrycamma Farm Rapeseed Oil(Louth) and David Tiernan for Glebe Brethan Cheese (Louth).


McCarthy's of Kanturk, Cork, was presented with a special award for the family's notable contribution to Irish food throughout the year. Finally, renowned fruit grower and active chairman of the Irish Apple Growers' Association,
Con Traas of The Apple Farm in Tipperary was honoured with the Guild's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Now in its 18th year, the Irish Food Writers' Guild (IFWG) Food Awards reward and promote producers of the highest quality food, who devote their lives to supporting and promoting Irish food. The awards took place at Michelin-starred restaurant, L'Ecrivain, where Derry Clarke created a lunch incorporating all of the award-winning products.

Myrtle Allen, honorary life member of the Guild, commented that "The importance of these awards cannot be underestimated as they allow us to recognise people at the coalface of the food sector in Ireland. We are all fortunate and privileged beneficiaries of these people's devotion to producing fantastic food. Collectively, today's winners make a significant contribution to the Irish economy, developing innovative and enterprising ways of working and providing both direct and indirect employment.

"However, there is a serious anomaly in that we have some of the highest quality produce in the world and yet, it is often a challenge to find something as simple as an Irish apple in our shops. Why is this? If we don't support and buy Irish, we will ultimately witness the demise of the small to medium-sized local producer, to the benefit of imported and sometimes, sub standard substitutes. We cannot let this happen and I am appealing to all stakeholders, including retailers, to recognise their responsibilities in supporting home grown industry."

Minster for Agriculture, Marine and Food, Simon Coveney TD, who was guest of honour at the event applauded the work of the members of the Irish Food Writers' Guild. "Through these awards you are highlighting the challenging work of small independent Irish food producers, at a time when
supporting home-grown industry is critical," he said.

�There is now a new appetite for buying home grown produce. By informing and promoting the high quality of our own food through your columns, you are opening up new outlets throughout the country for local food producers and assisting the better established to forge new trade links in new markets,� he concluded.

Chairperson of the Irish Food Writers' Guild, Orla Broderick explained the awards selection process: "These awards are quite unique in that no producer can nominate themselves; nominations are submitted exclusively by Guild members. Indeed, no company ever even knows that it is being considered for an award. The size of the company or the product category are of no relevance to the selection process; what is important is that the products are produced in Ireland with the main ingredient being home produced."

Ms Broderick concluded by thanking Bord Bia for its continued support of the Awards and the work it does for the industry both in Ireland and abroad.

Representatives from the food industry including food agencies, critics, food writers and retail buyers attended the awards ceremony and Derry Clarke's winners' menu was complemented by a selection of wines from Gleesons incorporating Gilbeys and Tipperary Natural Mineral Water and handmade Irish chocolates, provided by Kenmare-based artisan chocolatier, Benoit Lorge.

The Judging Process

�No company or individual can enter these awards.

�Every member of the Guild is invited to nominate products they believe are worthy of an award

�The products must be produced in Ireland and the main ingredient must be home produced

�The producer must be trading for at least three years

�Products are bought and paid for and a formal tasting meeting takes place where members vote, using proportional representation

Source: http://bit.ly/wjoUUB