Since 1993, the Irish Food Writer's Guild (IFWG ) Food Awards have celebrated local producers and food heroes who have nourished and brought pleasure to the lives and tables of many.
Caroline Hennessy, Chair of the (IFWG ), this week announced the winners of the 2022 Irish Food Writers’ Guild Food Awards, which include Calvey’s Achill Mountain Lamb in Mayo.
Hennessy stated: "The pandemic changed the very nature of consumer behaviour and in turn, forced Ireland’s food producers to change the way in which they operated.
"Two years since we first heard the term COVID-19 we are today celebrating the artisan producers and food businesses that stepped up to the plate, continued to serve communities and dug deep during the pandemic, despite all obstacles.
"We are recognising those who kept moving, got creative, started new ventures and found new ways of reaching their customers.
"Calvey's Achill Mountain Lamb are an example of a farming family who have met the challenges of the pandemic with panache, the Calveys of Achill Island would take some beating.
"Their superb salt marsh lamb (the coveted ‘agneau de pré-salé’ ) has been even more widely enjoyed, thanks to the way they tweaked an already successful multi-generational enterprise to meet the new market demands.
"The Calveys have been sheep farmers on Achill Island for over a century and a half, always including several generations of the family working together. This has been the secret of their success in many ways, not least in adjusting to doing business differently during a pandemic.
"The most sought-after product, the late season Calvey’s of Achill salt marsh lamb, has a unique terroir-related flavour and texture which is similar to mountain lamb from other coastal areas, but with a special extra ingredient contributed by their specific location.
"Born in mid-summer, much later than lowland lambs, their Mayo Blackface mountain lambs graze salt marsh plants and herbs in the rare ‘machair’ habitat of the sandy seaside banks at Keel - creating what the Calveys evocatively describe as its 'heather-sweetened, seaside-seasoned taste'.
"But, while crucial, it is not just the habitat that makes this product special. The Calveys’ way of doing things is the complete opposite of most mainstream farming operations, particularly meat producers.
"The difference is that they have control of every stage of the production process. Critically, they have an on-site abattoir, so - unlike most animals - their lambs do not have the stress of travelling to a slaughterhouse but remain on their own territory and in the care of familiar people to the end. Calvey’s abattoir is the last on an island that once had two dozen, so the family is very conscious of its importance and determined to keep it going.
"The same hands-on care applies to the butchery at Calvey’s On-Farm Abattoir Butchers, and the wonderful meats sold at their recently upgraded and relaunched farm shop at Keel.
"This shop also sells other Irish artisan products, as well as their own meats and hampers, along with offering an excellent online service, with everything from sausages and burgers to whole carcasses for nationwide delivery. Unusually, they also sell hogget (lamb over one year old ) and mutton (over two years ), both of which are excellent products that are not widely available.
"The Calvey family members currently involved with this ethically operated and admirably sustainable business are Martin and Angela, their daughters Martina, Gráinne (the butcher ) and Helen who, with brothers Edward and Martin, look after the farming, the butchery, the sales, the administration and the marketing. And the next generation will soon be represented by Grainne’s son Peter, who is at college and looking forward to taking part in the business.
"At a time of such rapid change in the world, in agriculture and towards responsible 'less but better' shopping habits, products like Calvey’s Achill Mountain Lamb are not only exceptionally delicious and healthy, but also provide a role model for others - and assure a sustainable future for farming on Achill Island."
For more information log on to: www.calveysachillmountainlamb.ie
