Award to honour the big cheese
This was revealed with the news that a large entry has been received for the new Irish Farmhouse Cheesemaker of the Year Award at IFEX, the international food, drink and catering exhibition, which will be held at the RDS during May 27-29.
The new award will recognise the excellence and skills of Irish farmhouse cheese makers. Over the years, the event has helped to launch many new Irish cheeses into international markets. IFEX chairman Bill Hodges said Irish farmhouse cheese production is currently 1,000 tonnes. But there is considerable room for expansion, if some of the 18,000 tonnes of annual imports can be substituted with native produce.
“Sales of farmhouse cheeses in Ireland last year showed increases of 30% and this year are expected to grow by 25%.
“The future is very encouraging and the IFEX awards will provide a platform for that growth,” he said.
IFEX, postponed two years ago because of foot and mouth disease, is held in Dublin and Belfast on alternate years.
With a total of 15 different categories, this year’s awards are expected to be more popular than ever.
This year’s event will host a number of Government supported national stands from around Europe, as well as Irish food manufacturers and distributors.
