The Menu: A rare award that has the greater good of the Irish food world as its concern

Some commercial judges would struggle to judge a crisp-opening competition

At the Euro-Toques Ireland Food Awards were, from left Mark Wright, Ballylisk - The Triple Rose Cheese; Sharon & Gordon Greene, Wild Irish Foragers; Catherine Kinsella, Salt Rock Dairy; Fergal Smith, Moy Hill Farm; Sarah Richards, Seagull Bakery; Tom Leach and Moe McKeown, Dingle Sea Salt and Mark Durnin & Helen McManus, Coole Farm.

Two weeks ago, at a special lunch in Ashford Castle, Euro-Toques Ireland unveiled the winners of their annual food producer awards for 2025. Sweet suffering kidneys of Christ, says you, not more awards.

With each passing year, it seems more crop up, right across the commercial world. Very often it is about self-promotion, to generate buzz and publicity for members of a particular commercial sector, to gain a bit of traction with the public and then dub them the ‘Oscars of the Tricycle Importers of West Longford’ or whatever product or service you’re trying to flog.