Existing small food companies, with assistance from their County Enterprise Boards, have been expanding their business, employing people and gaining more recognition for their products at a growing number of Irish Food Awards ceremonies.
Restaurants are changing their attitude and are getting away from the one-stop-shop attitude of commercial purchasing. They have been getting hands-on with local growers and producers, often making a financial input to the development of a local new food business. This is generating a pride within the restaurateurs as they finally become aware of the fact that they too are a vital part in the chain of events that can help to grow and nurture new local food businesses.
Chefs all over the Ireland are driving this new food awakening by insisting that the food they now serve from their kitchen reflects the local produce of their own region as much as possible. This is helping to create a more honest food culture among Irish people, as the market-stall produce again becomes a part of our weekly shopping.
Established and well-travelled Irish food champions such as Darina Allen, John & Sally McKenna, Georgina Campbell, Peter Ward, Good Food Ireland, The Sheridan family, and others, have been enormously important in creating today's awareness about the passionate producers in our midst. A new generation of Irish chef's, restaurateurs, food writers and the ever-growing Irish food blogging community have learned much from these original food gurus. Their continued dedication to promoting Irish food is, in turn, encouraging a new generation of food producers to get back to basics.
Bordbia, the Irish Food Board, has been instrumental in helping Irish food producers get their product to market and especially to the export market. Irish Food has undergone a phenomenal growth in exports over the last year and our reputation abroad, for our quality food, is second to none. This is something we all should be proud off, especially in the current financial climate.
This can be a great time to start a food business. If you have passion and belief in what you are doing and in the produce you are making, as the old saying goes: "People will taste the effort you put into it!"
My Twitter request for great "food finds of 2012" went out on the 28th December 2012 with 3 further retweets over the following few days:
I didn't give the request a push on Facebook this year as I believe I've got enough varied replies from across the Irish Food network via Twitter. From all the replies I have put together a fairly well balanced representation of some of the wonderful foods that people have discovered, for the first time, during 2012. Some of the foods are from producers who are already established or growing brand names. Some others are just getting started on their way.
Do please note that these are not my choices. They have been sent in by Irish Food lovers around the country who have discovered a new flavour or food and loved it.
Congrats to all who are included in the list. Again this year, one name came up more often in your replies than any other. We'll save that one till last!
So here with full contact details, in alphabetical order and as voted by Irish Twitter Foodies, are...
The Best Irish Food Finds of 2012
Food Product Producer Contact Details
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Annascaul Black Pudding Co., Annascaul, Co Kerry,
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Tel: 066 9157127 - Thomas Ashe
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Arun
Bakery, SPADE Centre, Nth King Street, Dublin 7
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086
244 3193 - Vlad Rainis
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Quality Sea Veg. Co., Burtonport, Co. Donegal
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@
+353 (0)74 – 9542159 - Manus McGonagle
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Glydefarm
Produce, Mansfieldstown,
Castlebellingham, Co Louth |
Tel: 042 937 2343 - 087 277 8538
www.bellingham.ie –
Peter Thomas
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Boyne Valley Blue, Mullagha Farm, Slane, Co Meath
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Michael Finnegan
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Broighter
Gold, Limavady
BT49 9DY, Northern Ireland |
Tel: 07912076607
Email: leona@broightergold.com |
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Burkes Farm, Tara, Navan, County Meath
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@
046-9025232 or 087-9532656
Bernie and John Burke
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Carraig na Breac Smokehouse, Drumshanbo Co Leitrim
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087 240 4289 - Peter and Niamh Curry
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Cathy’s
Spelt for Health, Riverside Business Centre, Tinahely, Co.Wicklow
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Tel: 00353 (0) 402 28912 - Cathy Whitty
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Cloughjordan Wood-fired Bakery, Cloughjordan
Eco-Village, Co. Tipperary
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Tel: 085-182 2777 Joe Fitzmaurice
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Corleggy Cheese, Belturbet, Co Cavan
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Tel: 049 9522930 Silke Cropp
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Rigneys Farm, Curraghchase, Kilcornan, Co.Limerick
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Joe and Caroline Rigney
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DeBrun Iasc Teo., Ballinaboula, Dingle, Co. Kerry
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@
Ted and Hannah Mae Browne
Tel: 066 9151933
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Donegal Rapeseed Oil Co., Raphoe, Co Donegal
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00353 (0)74 9145386 – Thomas Hughes
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Highbank Organic Orchard
Farmley, Cuffesgrange Co Kilkenny |
Tel: +353 56 7729918 - Rod Calder-Potts
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Dairygold Food Ingredients Ltd., Mogeely, Co Cork
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@
Tel: 021 –4667220
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James Whelan & Sons Butchers, Clonmel
Co. Tipperary & Avoca Foodmarket, Monkstown Co Dublin |
Clonmel: 052 6182477
Dublin: 01 6638924
Pat Whelan
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Knockdrinna Farmhouse Cheese Co., Stoneyford, Co
Kilkenny
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Tel: +353 (0)56 7728446 - Helen Finnegan
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Lannléire Honey, Trean, Dunleer, Co. Louth
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@
Eoghan MacGiolla Coda - Tel: 041 6861884
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Knockdrinna
Farnhouse Cheese Co., Stoneyford, Co Kilkenny
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Tel: +353 (0)56 7728446 – Helen Finnegan
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Longueville House, Mallow, Co. Cork, Ireland
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Tel: +353 (0)22 47156
- William O’Callaghan
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Moran’s
Homestore, Ballinagh,Co.Cavan
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Phone: 049-4367556 Kieron & Claire Moran
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Oldfarm,
Redwood, Lorrha, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary
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Tel:
086 8100 125 – Margaret & Alfie O'Farrell
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Inishowen Home Baking, Drumaville, Malin, Co Donegal
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@
Tel: 086 0840633 - Janine Strong
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Suzanna at Zwartbles Ireland
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Slow Food Co., Newtowncunningham, Co Donegal
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Kemal Scarpello - +353(0)749156777
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St Tola Cheese, Inagh, Co Clare
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Tel: +353 (0)65 68 36633 - Siobhan Ní Ghairbhith
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Tastefully Yours - Dunhill, Co Waterford
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Norbert Thul and Audrea Hassett - (051) 396 590
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The Whole Hoggs, Slane, Co Meath
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Peter & Susan Whelan - Tel: 086 2708809
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Toons Bridge Dairy. Old Creamery, Macroom, Cork
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Tel:
026 41471 - Jenny-Rose Clarke
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Wicklow Gold Farmhouse Cheese, Curranstown, Arklow, Co
Wicklow
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@
Tel: 0402 91713 - John and Bernie Hempenstall
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And the most mentioned "#BestIrishFood " of 2012 is...
Trout Caviar from Ger & Mags Kirwan
Trout Caviar from Ger & Mags Kirwan
“Trout caviar is good enough to eat off the spoon. It has large, golden-orange beads and a subtle flavour with a nice ‘pop’ when you bite into it," says Mags Kirwan of Goatsbridge "and have been very heartened by the response from the restaurant and food sector here so far.”
 |
| Trout Caviar by Ger & Mags Kirwan from Goatsbridge Trout Farm, Kilkenny |
For more details on Goatsbridge Trout Caviar see http://goatsbridgetrout.ie/
Goatsbridge Trout Farm, Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, Tel: +353 (0)86 818 8340
You can follow them @goatsbridge on Twitter
Thanks to everyone who sent in their special food finds of the year.
Happy New Year to all.