The menu: Irish Food Writers’ Guild Social Responsibility Award
The inaugural Irish Food Writers’ Guild Social Responsibility Award were held in Dublin recently. They are awarded to an individual, business or organisation for an outstanding ethos of social responsibility through food.
The three finalists for the award included Flanagan’s Field Community Garden, a community garden and resource centre in the heart of Dublin’s Rialto, and Healthy Food For All, an all-island charity addressing food poverty for low-income groups with a focus on community and school food initiatives, with both receiving special commendations from the Guild.
But the overall award went to Bia Food Initiative (BiaFi), a nationwide project to distribute surplus food otherwise deemed as waste to deserving Irish charities from their large distribution centre in Little Island, in Cork. BiaFi have subsequently acquired further distribution warehouses (in Oranmore, Co Galway, and Tallaght) and have just appointed a national distribution manager.
With almost all of the major multiples amongst the 33 food businesses currently signed up, BiaFi Project Manager Karen Horgan, accepting the award on the night, said, to date, the organisation has distributed 300 tons of food otherwise destined for landfill (www.biafi.ie). Dublin Simon Community’s Soup Run, established in 1970, was entered into the IFWG Social Responsibility Award Hall of Fame.
Miwadi and Temple Street Children’s Hospital are encouraging all and sundry to host a special Halloween party in aid of the hospital with special party packs available to all would-be fundraisers ( www.templestreet.ie).
The venerable Seanachaí Pub & Restaurant, in Co Waterford will host a fish supper in aid of the RNLI Helvick Lifeboat Station (Friday, October 30), which promises to be a fine evening in aid of a wonderful cause (www.seanachai.ie). Meanwhile the renowned Kelly’s Resort Hotel, in Rosslare, continue with their schedule of themed midweek breaks, Wine Appreciation, the latest to catch The Menu’s eye keeping in mind Kelly’s equally renowned wine cellar (www.kellys.ie).
