Producers of speciality cheeses, smoked silver eel and high-quality honey were among those recognised in the 13th annual Irish Food Writers' Guild awards, which were announced in Dublin yesterday.
The four awards handed out this year, nominations for which are only revealed to the winners once the final vote of the guild's 25 members has taken place, aim to reward excellence among Irish food producers.
The winners of the awards also include a company which specialises in sprouted seed and shoots. The Tyrone-based Good4u Food and Drink Company received its award for its "brocco" shoots, which sprout from broccoli seeds and are typically used as a garnish or as part of a salad or stir fry.
Mossfield Organic Farm, based in Birr, Co Offaly, was recognised for its range of organic farmhouse cheeses, which have previously won gold and silver medals at the world cheese awards.
Meadowsweet Apiaries, run for three generations by the McGuinness family in Ballinahown, Co Offaly, received its award for its honey and related products, including skincare products. It is now one of the largest producers of Irish honey in the country.
Artisan food producers Ummera Smoked Products Ltd, based in Timoleague, Co Cork, was recognised for the quality of its smoked silver eel, having previously won a number of international awards for its smoked products. Smoked silver eel is noted as a delicacy, with much of the catch now shipped directly to northern Europe.
According to Maírín Uí Chomáin, chairwoman of the Irish Food Writers' Guild, there are deliberately no set categories for the awards. "No one may enter themselves for consideration, only guild members can nominate a product or producer," she said. "The food product, which must be produced in Ireland, may be traditional or innovative."
At a lunch to celebrate the awards at L'Ecrivain restaurant in Dublin yesterday, Ralph Haslam of Mossfield Organic Farm said the award was "very important" for his company and would hopefully generate significant publicity.
"It sort of pre-sells the products," he said . "People hear of the awards, so the products sort of sell themselves."
Andrew McGuinness of Meadowsweet Apiaries said the increasing numbers of farmers' markets around the country, as well as specialist shops, were an important avenue for selling his products. "I'm not in this business to make millions, I'm in this because I love it," he added.