Members of the Irish Organic Farmers & Growers Association (IOFGA ) from Westmeath did particularly well at the recent SHOP awards ceremony held in the RDS, with a Mullingar organic dairy farm and an Athlone organic meat producer among the big winners.
Oliver Carty Ltd from Athlone won in a new category, Best Organic Meat Product, for their Organic Loin of Bacon with a Citrus Topping. Meanwhile Kelly’s Moon Shine Organic Dairy in Mullingar won a Product of the Show award for their Una cheese, a cream cheese made with sundried tomatoes and olives.
The organic sector held its ‘Food Oscars’ during the recent SHOP event at the RDS, highlighting the many innovative and delicious organic products on the market. The SHOP awards ceremony is Ireland’s annual food, drink, and retail awards event.
Also representing the Midlands, Glenisk in Co Offaly received Bord Bia's Overall National Organic Food Award for their organic butter.
For the first time, the World Cheese Awards were held in Ireland and also judged at the SHOP event. Over 2,400 cheeses from around the globe were entered. IOFGA was well represented at the awards with members winning two silvers and a bronze medal.
Silver went to Ralph Haslam from Mossfield Cheese, Co Offaly for his re-pressed cow’s milk cheese with garlic and basil, and to Inagh Farmhouse Cheese, Co Clare for their St Tola cheese, while IOFGA chairperson Kate Carmody of Beal Cheese, Co Kerry took home a bronze for her raw milk cheddar cheese.
"Success at award ceremonies such as these is a testament to the innovative, hard working, small scale, organic producers around the country and it illustrates how the organic sector is going from strength to strength," said Grace Maher, development officer, IOFGA.
