Retail News|October 2015|www.retailnews.ie|25
Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards Hellishly Good Win for Fire & Smoke
Aldi Stores Specially Selected Angus Fillet Steak from ABP Cahir won in the Meat - Beef Steaks category. Pictured are (l-r): Brian Frazer; Helen Lyons, Event Director, Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards; David Evans, Corporate Buying Director, Aldi; and Derry Clarke.
KERRY Foods are on fire as they’ve nabbed a coveted Irish Quality Food and Drink Award for their recently launched Fire and Smoke meats range. Fire and Smoke’s fire grilled sweet BBQ ham took home the top prize in the Delicatessen – Other Deli Products category, beating off stiff competition with its exceptional and distinctive taste. See our fantastic competition on page 55 for your chance to win a rustic wood Fire & Smoke serving board and a hamper full of hellishly good Fire & Smoke meats.
Agnes Bouchier-Hayes, IQFA Kitchen Manager, and Derry Clarke, present the Award to Brian Kelly, National Account Manager, Kerry Foods; and Hilary Hughes, Senior Brand Manager Fire & Smoke – Kerry Foods.
Michael McKillop, Managing Director, Glens of Antrim Potatoes, accepts the Award for Vegetables: Un Prepared from John Walshe, Retail News Editor, and Derry Clarke.
Retail Therapy Lidl Ireland enjoyed their best ever performance at the awards, lifting no fewer than 29 awards, spanning Lidl’s entire everyday range, from Inismara Hake Fillet with Bombay Curry Sauce, produced by Keohane Seafoods in Kinsale, Co. Cork, to Meadow Fresh Grab & Go Chicken Basil Tomato Pasta Salad, produced by Nature’s Best in Drogheda, Co. Louth. “We are delighted that so many of our products won awards at this year’s Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards,” enthused Linda Fitzgerald, Brands Manager at Lidl. “As one of the most respected award schemes in Ireland, recognition of our products at this level is a clear indication of the emphasis our local buying team places on sourcing and producing the highest quality products at great value prices. As a retailer, we are committed to supporting local suppliers and currently work with over 180 Irish suppliers across a broad range of categories, a number which is growing each year. We would like to say a big thank you to all of our dedicated suppliers for their tireless efforts to bring top quality food to your table.” Aldi scooped nine awards on the night, including everything from gluten free breads to prime fillet steaks, healthy Mediterranean salads to premium Irish whiskey. Their award winning seasonal products included Specially Selected Cranberry, Apricot and Orange Stuffing and Specially Selected Irish Boned Whole Stuffed Duck with Orange Glaze, which will be on sale from December 20. Dunnes Stores lifted 18 awards, including two overall Gold Awards, the Gold Value Q for Dunnes Stores My Family Favourites 4 Irish Beef Quarter Pounders from Kepak, and the Gold Christmas Q Award for Dunnes Stores Simply Better Stuffed Fresh Irish Turkey Breast Joint from Hogan’s Farm.
Northern Exposure Northern Irish companies performed extremely well at this year’s awards, with over 30 products from 22 Northern Ireland companies, both large and small, proving successful in key categories, including Cereals-Porridge (White’s Oats, Tandragee, Co. Armagh), Breads - Wheaten and Soda (McErlain’s, Magherafelt, Co. Derry, and Linwood’s Bakery, Armagh), Dairy – Yoghurts (Clandeboye Estate, Bangor, Co. Down), Cold Beverages – Soft Drinks (CocoMojo, Lisburn, Co. Antrim), Eggs (Cavanagh Free Range Eggs, Newtownbutler, Co. Fermanagh), and Ciders (DJ Juices and Ciders, Lisburn, Co. Antrim; Kilmegan, Dundrum, Co. Down; and Mac Ivors, Craigavon, Co. Armagh). Other category winners from Northern Ireland included Craigavon-based Moy Park in poultry, Dungannon-based Linden Foods in Meat, Burgers and Meatballs, Willowbrook Foods from Killinchy, Co. Down, in Salads – Prepared, TS Foods from Castlewellan, Co. Down, in Side Dishes, and Glens of Antrim Potatoes in Vegetables – Unprepared. IGBF Raffle One of the highlights of a stunning night’s entertainment was the Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund raffle, which raised a whopping €5,000 for the charity and saw lucky winners leaving the Mansion House with stunning prizes, including a holiday for two in Cancun, Mexico, and a weekend break in any European City, while a spot auction saw one guest taking home a pair of tickets to see U2 in the 3 Arena. For More Full details about the awards are available at irish.qualityfoodawards.com. Make sure you stay up to date with the latest news and competitions via the IQFA Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ IrishQualityFoodAwards and on Twitter @IrishQFAs, #IQFA. Retail News is proud to be media partner of these prestigious awards, which reward the exceptional quality of Irish food and drink products.