This year’s winners of the Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards were recently announced at a virtual ceremony on celebrating Ireland’s food and drink and ABP scooped several accolades.
A vast number of wide-ranging categories from food and drink, to foodservice and good choice categories were open for entries this year.
The awards recognise and celebrate the best in retail, wholesale and foodservice food and drink products available in Ireland.
“Whilst 2021 has continued to bring challenges, we have been astounded by the level of innovation and continued excellence throughout the food and drink sector,” Beckie Dart, director of the Irish Quality Food and Dink Awards said.
ABP and other award winners
Winning a total number of 23 awards at this year’s competition, ABP Food Group received gold in all four beef steak categories including striploin and sirloin, ribeye and fillet.
The company received nine gold awards in total, five silver awards and nine bronze awards for its meat products across eight different categories, of which three were part of the special Christmas categories.
Its Specially Selected 40 Day Matured Irish Angus Three Rib Roast won the ‘Christmas Product of the Year’ award.
ABP Food Group said it works in close partnership with over 45,000 farmers in order to ensure “that the quality of our product is maintained and traceability is ensured”.
Dave O’Connell, European commercial director for ABP said:
“To receive 23 awards is a ringing endorsement of the care and dedication of our staff and our farmer suppliers, who work together to deliver best in class Irish beef to our customers.”
Awarded gold in the ‘Good Choice Beverages’ category was an Irish beetroot juice by Feighery’s Vegetable Farm in Kilcormac, Co. Offaly using homegrown beetroot and Tipperary apples.
Some other gold winners this year include:
Killowen Farm for their Irish Soft Cream Cheese Natural – Rich and Creamy; Carton Brothers for their Two Part Boned Corn Fed Chicken Breast with Wheaten Bread, Caramelised Plum & Ginger Stuffing; Spice O’Life for their Irish Made Vanilla Bean Custard.
Family-run business O’Brien Fine Foods based in Co. Kildare received three gold awards, six silver awards and four bronze awards for their products, 10 of which won in the ‘Meat Antipasti and Sliced Meats’ category.
The gold awards were for the company’s Homebird Cooked Irish Chicken Wings with a Rich, Hot and Smoky Sauce; Brady Family Irish Angus Cured Beef; and Brady Family, Master Butcher 7 Day Dry Aged Glazed Ham.