Good Food Ireland Awards winners revealed

The winners of the Good Food Ireland Awards in association with FBD Insurance were revealed last night (Monday, November 11) at a high-profile awards ceremony at The K Club in Co. Kildare.

The event was attended by 300 guests including Irish and international chefs, buyers, food and drink writers, media and industry leaders.

Attendees enjoyed a five-course gala dinner designed by The K Club’s executive chef Gary O’Hanlon inspired by Ireland’s landscape and seascape showcasing the freshest of ingredients from Irish suppliers including: Thornhill Duck; Garryhinch Mushrooms; Killowen Farm natural yoghurt and natural cream cheese; John Stone fillet of beef; Janet’s Country Fayre chutney; Wilde Irish Chocolates; and The K Club’s honey from their own hives.

The food was complemented by a ‘Meet the Maker’ drinks showcase including the likes of: The Dew Drop Brewhouse, Kildare; Five Farms Irish Cream Liqueur and Rebel City Gin, Cork; The Old Roots Irish Wine, Wexford; and a Cailleach Punch combining Roe & Co Apple Brandy, with Sencha green tea.

The awards celebrate businesses at every layer of Ireland’s food and drink industry. From primary producers, manufacturers, and chefs, to shops, hotels, tourism experiences, and restaurants.

Those businesses who made the shortlist and went onto become winners are regarded by the judges as embodying all that makes Ireland’s food and drink offering so standout.

The core emphasis of these all-island, cross-sector awards is the consumer experience of local, fresh, seasonal, Irish ingredients.

Good Food Ireland aims to highlights tourism-hospitality and retail businesses that prioritise Irish produce and encourages others.

It also gives standout recognition to Irish farmers, food and drink producers and fishermen, creating commercial opportunity, sustainably strengthening local economies and communities.

Winners of Good Food Ireland Awards

One of the Dublin food scene’s most colourful characters, the second-generation fishmonger Peter Caviston of Caviston’s Seafood Restaurant & Food Emporium in Glasthule was presented with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.

As one of Ireland’s leading experts on fish and seafood cuisine, Peter became a strong advocate of Good Food Ireland in 2006, supporting its mission to assist local producers and elevate Irish food culture, making it a point to highlight the rich history and regional diversity of Irish ingredients.

Peter’s commitment to sourcing sustainable, high-quality ingredients helped champion the exceptional food produced across Ireland, from the sea to the land, and encouraged both locals and visitors to explore Ireland’s diverse food culture, according to the awards organisers.

Meanwhile, the master smoker behind Ummera Smoked Products in Cork, Anthony Creswell, was recognised for his Outstanding Contribution to Food Production.

A particularly poignant moment of the ceremony following his retirement from the 50-year-old family business which ceased trading exactly one month ago to the day on October 11, 2024.

The award honoured Anthony for his family’s significant contribution to the Irish food scene and for his commitment to traditional smoking methods, sustainability and local sourcing.

Another family affair, this time the O’Neill family of Mountain View, Kilkenny took home Food Innovator of the Year for their third-generation, multi-faceted family business.

What was originally a family farm, Mountain View started its journey of innovation over 25 years ago when it evolved from a farm to a golf course, and then to a restaurant and wedding venue, glamping and vibrant food and craft market.

The Good Food Ireland Overall Producer of The Year was awarded to third generation artisan butchers Kelly’s of Newport, Co. Mayo.

There were two Sustainability Award winners – Brook Hall Estate & Gardens, Derry for strong sustainable practices in farming, with a measurable carbon neutral landscape, leading the way in using agriculture as a method of capturing and storing carbon while remaining a productive landscape, and GROW HQ, Waterford for its continuous development and implementation of sustainable practices.

Castle Leslie Estate, in Co. Monaghan took the overall Supreme Award of The Year.

Judges

Award winners were selected through mystery inspections and assessments of those businesses approved by Good Food Ireland and shortlisted by an independent panel of Irish and international leaders.

These included: Founder and managing director of Good Food Ireland, Margaret Jeffares; former Good Food Ireland operations director, Susan Kerr; journalist John Wilson; hospitality consultant, Tom O’Connell; lecturer at the School of Hospitality Management and Tourism, TU Dublin, Dr. Detta Melia; executive chair and owner of Odyssey International, Kevin Shannon, and previous chef and hotelier, Maurice Keller.

Members of the public also cast their votes online for their favourite places across the island of Ireland in the Food Lovers Choice Awards which was opened up to all businesses for the first time in the history of the awards.

The winners for each region were: Fitzgerald’s Woodlands House Hotel & Spa, Limerick (Wild Atlantic Way); Corrigan’s Butchers Drumcondra (Dublin); The Glenroyal Hotel, Kildare (Ireland’s Ancient East); Kilronan Castle Estate, Roscommon (Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands); and Culloden Estate & Spa, Down (Northern Ireland).

Margaret Jeffares said: “To say that deciding on the winners from our magnificent shortlist of businesses from across the island of Ireland has been tough this year would be a huge understatement.

“We’ve seen a notable rise in confidence in the tourism and hospitality industry to prioritise Irish ingredients due to customers being far more vocal about wanting to see Irish produce on the menu.

“Awareness around sustainability has increased across the board and utilising local food and drink is a fundamental way to assist sustainable goals as well as helping hotels and restaurants provide their clientele with true taste of their region.

“All these factors combined have given Irish farmers, fishermen and food and drink producers a renewed sense of purpose and desire to innovate,” she added.

FBD Insurance is the official partner of this year’s awards which are also sponsored by: Tourism Ireland; Bord Bia; AIB; National Dairy Council (NDC); Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM); Roe & Co; Wine Consultants Ireland; Waterford; along with The K Club, Co. Kildare as host partner.

Full list of winners

5* HOTEL OF THE YEAR – The Merrion, Dublin;

CULINARY HAVEN OF THE YEAR – Castle Leslie Estate, Monaghan;

4* HOTEL OF THE YEAR – Kelly’s Resort Hotel & Spa, Wexford;

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR – An Port Mor, Mayo;

HOTEL RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR – Forbes Street by Gareth Mullins, Anantara The Marker Dublin;

CAFÉ OF THE YEAR – The Silver Restaurant at Newbridge Silverware, Kildare;

PUB OF THE YEAR – The Lifeboat Inn, Cork;

SHOP OF THE YEAR – Brogan’s Butchers, Meath;

SUSTAINABILITY AWARD – agri-food winner – Brook Hall Estate, Derry;

SUSTAINABILITY AWARD – tourism hospitality winner – Grow HQ, Waterford.

Producer Awards

These awards recognise producers for their premium produce and commitment to Irish provenance, leading the field in their production ethos, cultivation and catch practices and the top-quality produce it results in.

Good Food Ireland acknowledged producers with a focus on environmental sustainability, preservation and collaboration with the local community.

MEAT PRODUCER OF THE YEAR – Kelly’s of Newport, Mayo;

FRUIT & VEGETABLE PRODUCER OF THE YEAR – Kearns Fruit Farm, Wexford;

FISH & SEAFOOD PRODUCER OF THE YEAR – Realt Na Mara Shellfish, Kerry;

DRINKS PRODUCER OF THE YEAR – Long Meadow Cider, Armagh;

DAIRY PRODUCER OF THE YEAR – Freezin’ Friesian, Waterford;

SWEET & SAVOURY PRODUCER OF THE YEAR – Leahy Beekeeping, Galway;

BAKERY & CHOCOLATE PRODUCER OF THE YEAR – The Chocolate Garden of Ireland, Carlow;

OVERALL PRODUCER OF THE YEAR – Kelly’s of Newport, Mayo;

FOOD INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR – O’ Neill family, Mountain View, Kilkenny;

EXCELLENCE IN FOOD TOURISM AWARD – Burren Smokehouse & Visitor Centre, Clare;

FOOD LOVERS CHOICE AWARD BY REGION: