Cork's culinary excellence recognised once more

Cork won three of the eight Irish Food Writer's Guild Food awards this year.

Cork’’s reputation as a centre of food excellence has increased again with three of the eight Irish Food Writer’’s Guild Food awards going to the rebel county this year.

Frank Hederman’’s smoked salmon won the top food award; Exploding Tree, the Clonakilty-based chocolate company, received the environmental award and Jeffa Gill, renowned Durras cheesemaker, was presented with the lifetime achievement award.

The awards, now in their 26th year, celebrate excellence and recognise indigenous food producers and organisations that help to create and maintain Ireland’s outstanding reputation in food and drink.

Kristin Jensen, chairperson of the Irish Food Writers’ Guild, said the awards highlight the incredible work of small, independent Irish food producers and organisations at a time when supporting local, home-grown industries had never been more relevant or important.

“In considering this year’s award winners, we identified a fantastic company producing Fairtrade chocolate sustainably in Cork, along with a wonderful cheesemaker, also in Cork, who has dedicated much of her life to the betterment of Ireland’s food culture,” she said.

“The guild was so impressed by their work, their standards of excellence and their contribution to our food industry that we have singled them both out for an IFWG award, one of the highest accolades in the Irish food honours list,” said Ms Jensen.

“In addition to taste, quality and continually achieving standards of excellence, sustainability is a crucial determinant when it comes to nominating and voting for our winners,” she said.

"And while the issue of sustainability has only really dominated the headlines in recent years, it has always been an integral part of our awards process."

The award winners were:-

• Food award: Frank Hederman for Hederman Hot Smoked Irish Salmon, Co Cork.
• Food award: Shine’s Seafood for Shine’s Wild Irish Tuna, Co Donegal.
• Food award: Inch House Traditional Black Pudding, Co Tipperary.
• Irish drink award: Teeling Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, Co Dublin.
• Outstanding contribution to Irish food award: Joyce Timmins, Co Dublin.
• Environmental award: Exploding Tree (Chocolate), Co Cork.
• Community food award: Falling Fruit Ireland (fruit harvesting), Co Dublin.
• Lifetime achievement award: Jeffa Gill (cheesemaker), Co Cork.