Awards hail flagship whiskey’s export showing

AS the value of Irish food and drink exports approaches a record €9 billion in 2011, the key contribution of Jameson Irish whiskey was recognised last night when it won the Bord Bia Food and Drink Export Award.

The flagship brand is seen as a major performer in the country’s €1bn export expansion in the past 12 months.

Congratulating owners Irish Distillers on the award, Food Minister Simon Coveney said the company’s exceptional export performance is to be welcomed not only for the sustained double-digit growth in exports, but for the fact that it promotes the Irish identity in more than 120 countries around the world.

“It is proudly rooted in Irish heritage and tradition,” Mr Coveney said, speaking at an awards ceremony at Trinity College Dublin.

“Its global reach provides a platform to build awareness and enhance the brand reputation of our entire food and drink industry, a key element of Food Harvest 2020.”

Irish Distillers employs 500 people and a further 280 jobs are to be created through the expansion of its Midleton distillery over the next four years. It sources 33,000 tonnes of Irish barley each year, supporting 11,000 acres of farmed land.

In 2010, Jameson passed a key milestone, selling three million cases of whiskey globally. It is set to reach four million cases by 2012.

Meanwhile, Irish Distillers and Pernod Ricard are investing over €100 million in Ireland in the coming three years to sustain its rapid expansion.

Eight Irish companies in total were honoured at the Bord Bia awards, including Kerrygold and Cashel Blue, who were both honoured with a special award in recognition of their co-branding, “co-opetition” initiative in the US market.

The Irish Dairy Board, which owns the Kerrygold brand, has recently joined forces with Cashel Blue in a new co-branding and distribution agreement to help build brand awareness and market share in the US.

Bord Bia chief executive Aidan Cotter described the joint venture as “an excellent example of ‘co-opetition’ as a business strategy” and shows how a large multinational exporter can collaborate with a niche player to develop a mutually beneficial brand offering.

The dairy sector is expected to contribute as much as half the total growth in Irish food and drink exports this year, growing by well in excess of 20% or €500m. The volume of dairy exports is projected to grow by 50% once EU quotas are lifted in 2015.

The Food and Drink Industry Awards, held in association with Rabobank, were open to all food and drink products manufactured in Ireland. This year, Bord Bia received a total of 184 entries across the six categories.

The winners

* Export Award — Jameson.

* Innovation Award — Natasha’s Living Food for Kale Crunchies, a healthy, crisp alternative made from dried, locally-grown kale.

* Domestic Success Award — Flahavan’s. One of Ireland’s leading private companies, Flahavan’s has been milling quality Irish oats for over six generations at the family mill in Kilmacthomas, Co Waterford.

* Sustainability Award — Country Crest.A family-owned business, Country Crest is situated in north County Dublin. As part of its environment philosophy, it includes a wind turbine, water recycling, and a wildlife pond. The company aims to be energy self-sufficient by 2015.

* Branding Award — Largo Foods for Tayto. Ireland’s number one crisp and snack brand and Ireland’s fifth largest grocery brand (Nielsen). Over 3 million bags of Tayto are sold in Ireland each week.

* Entrepreneurial Award — Arun Kapil, managing director, Green Saffron. In 2007, Arun Kapil set up Green Saffron in Midleton, Co Cork. It specialises in farm-fresh spices for use in home and professional kitchens.