Retail News|October 2016|www.retailnews.ie|61
Invest NI: Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards
Rathdaragh Irish Extra Mature Cheddar for Lidl, produced by Dale Farm, Belfast, won in the Cheese- Hard category.
Spar Select Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar Crisps, produced by Golden Wonder, Tandragee, County Armagh, winner in the Bagged Snacks - Savoury category.
Crisps for Spar in Bagged Snacks - Savoury; • Forest Feast of Craigavon, County Armagh, for its Dunne’s Stores Cacao Mix in Bagged Snacks - Sweet; • Dale Farm, Belfast, in Cheese - Hard for Rathdaragh Irish Extra Mature Cheddar for Lidl; • Mash Direct, Comber, County Down, for Veggie Burgers in Free-From Chilled; • Avondale Foods, Lurgan, County Armagh, for Cook at Home Potato Gratin for Dunnes Stores.
Powerful Marketing Tool The producers were honoured at the fourth annual awards during a ceremony hosted by Ballymaloe chef and cookery writer, Rachel Allen, at the Mansion House in Dublin. “The Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards have become a major part of the Irish food calendar,” says Helen Lyons, group publisher at Metropolis Media, who organised the event.
Winner in the Wheaten and Soda Bread category: SuperValu and Centra Sean Brown Soda Bread, produced by Genesis Crafty.
Farmageddon, a brewery cooperative from Comber, County Down, lifted a Platinum Irish Quality Drinks Award for its Pale Ale.
Artisan Producers Northern Ireland artisan producers swept the awards in key categories such as Cider, Ales and Porter and Liqueurs. Tempted Irish Cider, based in Lisburn, County Antrim, gained the platinum award for its recently launched Elderflower Cider. There were other major awards for two Portadown-based companies, Mac Ivors and McCann’s. Farmageddon, a brewery co-operative from Comber, County Down gained a platinum award for its Pale Ale and gold for its Irish Export Porter. Niche Drinks in Derry was awarded gold for its Tesco Finest Salted Cream Liqueur. The revival of the historic Irish Lumper potato gained Glens of Antrim Potatoes a category award in the Unprepared Salads category. The potato dates back to the 1840s. Category Winners There were category wins for the following Northern Ireland food and drink: • Golden Wonder, part of Tayto, Tandragee, County Armagh, for its Select Sea Salt and Cider Vinegar
Mash Direct’s Veggie Burgers won in the Free-From Chilled category.
Picking up an Irish Quality Food and Drink Award is a powerful marketing tool, with many past winners using the awards’ logos on their packaging and in national press, television, and outdoor advertising. The awards themselves are organised into two distinct sections: Irish Quality Food Orange, Mango and Awards, products Gin Marshmallow from for the multiple and Camran Crafts, one independent grocery of Northern Ireland’s retail market; and smallest companies, the Irish Quality who were named Dunnes Stores Simply Drink Awards, Better Small Producer alcoholic drinks for of the Year. the retail sector.
Tempted Irish Cider, based in Lisburn, County Antrim, took home the Platinum Award in the Ciders category for its recently launched Elderflower Cider.