Irish Quality Food Awards

What a night! After having the pleasure to judge at the irish Quality Food Awards we attended the award ceremony with some of the best local producers Ireland has to offer. An impressive 350 guests, entrants, judges and spectators came together last night to celebrate the achievements of Ireland’s best food and drink producers at the Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards (IQFA). Held at the Round Room, within Dublin’s grand Mansion House, 57products from North and South Ireland were awarded the title of IQFA 2014 winners.

The awards were presented by popular TV chef and author Catherine Fulvio who congratulated the winners on their contribution to the Irish food and drink industry. The IQFAs represent a unique collaboration between Food and Hospitality Ireland (formerly SHOP) and the UK Quality Food and Drink Awards, which have been rewarding excellence in food and drink flavours, textures and aromas for more than 35 years. The awards are renowned among multiple grocery sectors and food producers for their trustworthy and rigorous judging process which provides truly honest winners.

The awards set out to recognise excellence in product development for food and drink producers, retailers and catering companies in Ireland.

To ensure complete equality within the judging process, the IQFA’s kitchen team of home economists at Dublin’s Institute of Technology prepared all the products as per the supplied manufacturers’ instructions before presenting to the judging panel. Working through each delicious category across two weeks, one session at a time, a judging team of over 70 respected food journalists, chefs, producers, retailers, NPD specialists, cooks and bloggers from across Ireland tasted over 600 products.

The dinner was cooked to perfection using the very best of Irish produce including Silver Hill Duck which was delish!

On the menu

WINNERS’ LIST 2014

Bagged Snacks

Sweet Chilli & Irish Red Pepper Potato Crisps – Keogh’s Crisps

Biscuits – Savoury

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish Wholemeal Crackers – Sheridans Cheesemongers

Biscuits – Sweet

Dunnes Stores My Family Favourites Milk Chocolate & Hazelnut Wafer – CKS

Bread – Small Breads and Rolls

Tesco Black Olive Roll – Panelto Foods

Bread – Large Loaves

Lidl Low GI Multiseed Cob – Mannings Bakery

Bread – Morning Goods

Tesco Finest Muesli Bread – Aryzta Bakeries

Bread – Speciality Breads

Four Cheese Loaf – Cuisine de France

Bread – Wheaten and Soda Breads

Toaster Wheaten – Genesis Crafty

Cakes and Morning Goods

Tesco Apple & Blackberry Lattice Bar – Golden Bake

Cereals

Aldi Kavanagh’s Luxury Fruit Porridge with Apple, Raisin & Cinnamon Dusted Cranberries –Stafford Lynch

Cheese

Lidl Irish Extra Mature Cheddar – Dale Farm Dairies

Chocolate and Confectionary

Lidl Irish Chocolate Selection – Lir Chocolates

Christmas Q – Christmas Cakes, Bakery and Desserts

Dunnes Stores 6 Deep Filled All Butter Mince Pies – Sargents Bakeries

Christmas Q – Christmas Chilled, Grocery Ambient, Meat, Fish & Savoury

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Ham Glaze – Wexford Home Preserves

Cold Beverages

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Valencia Orange Juice – Keeling F Juices

Dairy and Milk Products – Butters and Spreads

Dairy Manor Irish Creamery Butter – Town of Monaghan Co-op

Dairy and Milk Products – Yogurts

Aldi Specially Selected Handmade Farmhouse Raspberry Yogurt – Killowen

Delicatessen – Antipasti

Tesco Pastrami Irish Beef – O’Brien Fine Foods

Delicatessen – Other Deli Counter Products

Musgrave Retail Partners Wiltshire Cured Ham on the Bone – O’ Brien Fine Foods

Desserts and Puddings

SuperValu Signature Tastes Panacotta – Prestige Foods

Fish – Fresh Fish

Burren Smoked Irish Organic Salmon with Seaweed Marinade – Burren Smokehouse

Fish – Fresh Fish Dishes

Lidl Seafood Chowder – Galmere

Food To Go

Tesco Finest Open Salmon Sandwich – Freshways

Free From – Chilled & Savoury

Aldi ‘Has No’ Delicious Soft White Bread – Gallaghers Bakery

Free From – Sweet

Aldi ‘Has No’ Lemon Muffins – Gallaghers Bakery

Fresh Meat, Game and Poultry – Bacon

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Dry Cured Irish Rashers – Callan Bacon

Fresh Meat, Game and Poultry – Beef Steaks

Aldi Specially Selected 28 Day Dry Aged Rib Eye – ABP Cahir

Fresh Meat, Game and Poultry – Poultry

Confit of Duck – Silver Hill Foods

Fresh Meat, Game and Poultry – Sausages, Burgers and Meatballs

Dunnes Stores Simply Better 6 Superior Honey & Mustard Irish Pork Sausages – Arthur Mallon Foods

Fresh Meat, Game and Poultry – Pork, Lamb and Other Joints: Retail Winner

Dunnes Stores Simply Better French Trimmed Connemara Hill Rack of Lamb – Tendermeats

Fresh Meat, Game and Poultry – Pork, Lamb and Other Joints: Catering Winner

Musgrave Wholesale Partners Butchers Select Lamb Rack French Trim – Kepak

Fresh Produce – Fruit

SuperValu Fruit Salad Mix – Freshcut Foods

Fresh Produce – Salad

Tesco Finest Irish Piccolo Cherry Tomatoes – Jim O’Rourke

Fresh Produce – Vegetables

Easy Cook 7 Minute Baby New Potatoes – Keogh’s

Frozen Food – Savoury

Aldi Specially Selected Irish Beef Quarter Pounders with Cheddar Cheese and Sweet Chilli – Kepak

Frozen Food – Sweet

Roll It Sweet All Butter Shortcrust Pastry – Roll It Pastry

Grocery Ambient – Savoury

Honeyed Fig, Rhubarb & Chilli Savoury Jam – Irish Bee Sensations

Grocery Ambient – Sweet

Lidl Blackcurrant and Rum Jam – Abbey Farm Foods

Hot Beverages – Coffee

SuperValu Signature Tastes Colombian Supremo Coffee Beans – United Coffee

Hot Beverages – Other

Aldi McGrath’s Reserve Blend Tea – Robert Roberts

Pizzas

Pizzado – Choice Pizza

Ready Meals

SuperValu Signature Tastes Lamb Tagine – Ballymaguire

Sauces and Salad Dressings

Vine Tomato & Jalapeno Pasta Sauce – The Scullery

Seasonal Occasions

Aldi Luxury Irish Chocolates

Side Dishes

SuperValu Signature Tastes Braised Red Cabbage – Ballymaguire

Soups

Lidl Cream of Tomato Soup – Princes

Value Q

Dunnes Stores My Family Favourites Strawberry Jam – Histon Sweet Spreads

SuperValu Small Producer of the Year Award

Winning a listing with SuperValu:

Chicken Liver Paté with Garlic & Brandy – On The Pig’s Back

Irish Quality Drink Awards

Ales & Lagers

Independent Stout – Independent Brewing Company of Ireland

Cider

Tempted? Summer Sweet Irish Craft Cider – dj’s juice and cider

Sparkling Wine

Lidl Crémant d’Alsace Brut AOC – S.C.V.B

Spirits – Liqueurs and Speciality Spirits

Lidl Deluxe Irish Cream Liqueur – Terra

Spirits – Whiskies

Aldi Clontarf Classic Blend Whiskey – Castle Brands Inc

Wine

Lidl St. Emilion Gran Cru AOC, 2011 – Union de Producteurs de Saint-Emilion

Gold Q Awards

Drink Gold Q

Aldi Clontarf Classic Blend Whiskey – Castle Brands Inc

Christmas Gold Q

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Ham Glaze – Wexford Home Preserves

Overall Gold Q

Dunnes Stores Simply Better French Trimmed Connemara Hill Rack of Lamb – Tendermeats