Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards 2014 Winners Announced

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 and 57 products from the North and the Republic of 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. 

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’.

This year, for the first time, a panel of judges from Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland chose finalists for the Small Producer of the Year Award – designed to celebrate artisanal foods and drink in Ireland and sponsored by SuperValu. ‘On the Pig’s Back Chicken Liver Pâté with Garlic & Brandy’ beat off stiff competition to win the award and will see the range extended across SuperValu stores, as well as receiving significant sales and marketing support from SuperValu. Other finalists included Sweet BBQ Pulled Pork from Jack & Keith Molloy Bros and Scotts Irish Cider from Big Hand Brewing Company.

The Round Room at The Mansion House, Dublin

The Irish Quality Drink Awards were judged in Dublin for the first time this year, with the Irish Quality Drink Award Gold Q given to Aldi Clontarf Classic Blend Whiskey and its supplier Castle Brands Inc, beating Highly Commended Dundalgan Irish Whiskey from Lidl Ireland and Terra. Independent Stout won the Lagers & Ales category, ‘Tempted? Summer Sweet Irish Craft Cider’ from dj’s juice and cider won the Cider category and Lidl Ireland won the Sparkling Wine, Wine and Spirit categories with their Cremant d’Alsace Brut AOC, St. Emilion Gran Cru AOC 2011 and their Deluxe Irish Cream Liqueur. Suppliers were S.C.V.B, Union de Producteurs de Saint-Emilion and Terra respectively.


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.

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

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

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