Cork excels at food awards

Cork’s reputation as the food capital of Ireland was confirmed yesterday at the 2014 Irish Food Writers’ Guild Food Awards, with six of the seven awards going to producers, organisations or individuals based in the county.

Myrtle Allen of Ballymaloe received a Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to culinary excellence since the 1960s.

Announcing the winners, Lizzie Gore Grimes, chairperson of the IFWG, said: “Cork is flying the flag at this year’s awards and the guild has discovered some truly wonderful products and innovative organisations in the south of the country that just couldn’t be ignored . . . Over the past 20 years we have celebrated over 100 producers, individuals and organisations from every county in Ireland, but today belongs to the county of Cork, which has swept the board for its exceptional food credentials.”