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.
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| TV chef and Author, Catherine Fulvio, hosted the Irish Quality Food Awards event |
The awards set out to recognise excellence in product development for food and drink producers, retailers and catering companies in Ireland.
Dunnes Stores and Tendermeats received the prestigious Overall Gold Q for their ‘Simply Better French Trimmed Connemara Hill Rack of Lamb’. The Gold Q is awarded to the one product that stands out among all the other entries and represents "the very best of the best". Awarded Gold Q Highly Commended was Roll It Pastry’s ‘Sweet All Butter Shortcrust Pastry’.
The Christmas Gold Q was awarded to Dunnes Stores and Wexford Home Preserves for its ‘Simply Better Ham Glaze’.
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| The Round Room at The Mansion House, Dublin |
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.
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| Helen Lyons, organiser of the Irish Quality Food Awards 2014 |
Organiser, Helen Lyons, commented, “Last night was such a success for all involved. The whole process has been fantastic and I’m so proud of our team and the contestants. It’s great to be given the opportunity to truly congratulate those in the food and drink industry that make a difference in our everyday lives and ‘compliment the chef’ so to speak! Well done to all of the winners and commiserations to those who didn’t quite make it – we received an outstanding amount of high-quality entrants, so it certainly wasn’t an easy process.”
The awards are open to all retailers, food producers, wholesalers and food service operators across Northern and Southern Ireland. They are a unique collaboration between Food and Hospitality Ireland and the UK Quality Food and Drink Awards (now in its 35th year) and sponsored by top UK packaging manufacturer, Benson Group as well as Dairymaid, Invest Northern Ireland and MLS Labelling & Printing Systems.
All excess food from the judging was given to The Capuchin Centre for Homeless People, which provides warm food each day and more than 1800 food hampers a week to vulnerable people in Dublin, and FareShare. The table decorations at the awards dinner were provided by www.livingcolours.ie.
The awards repeat last year’s trade media partnership with Retail News magazine, while forming a consumer-media partnership with Easy Food magazine.
For more information visit the website: www.irishqualityfoodawards.com Follow them on Facebook: at www.facebook.com/IrishQualityFoodAwards or on Twitter @IrishQFAs Hashtag #IQFA14
Learn more about The Capuchin Centre for Homeless People here, www.capuchindaycentre.ie.
And so, The Irish Quality Food Awards Winners' List 2014 is...
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
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
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
The Gold Q Awards
Drink Gold Q
Aldi Clontarf Classic Blend Whiskey - Castle Brands Inc
Christmas Gold QDunnes Stores Simply Better Ham Glaze - Wexford Home Preserves
The Overall Gold Q goes to...
Dunnes Stores "Simply Better" French Trimmed
Connemara Hill Rack of Lamb - by Tendermeats
Connemara Hill Rack of Lamb - by Tendermeats
There you go. A varied and diverse mix of Irish Quality Food products received awards tonight so get out and have a look for them in your local shop, tomorrow!
Zack