Bord Bia has today (Tuesday, September 3) announced the shortlist of 19 food and drink producers for the 2024 National Organic Awards.
The awards, held every two years in association with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), celebrate the achievements and high standards of organic growers, producers, and manufacturers across the country.
Bord Bia confirmed that almost 100 entries were submitted for consideration this year.
The winners of the 2024 awards will be revealed at a ceremony taking place on Thursday, October 17 in the Bord Bia Global Hub in Dublin.
National Organic Awards
The judges reviewed the shortlisted companies at the National Organic Food Fair which took place in Merrion Square in Dublin last Saturday.
The judging panel included chef Clodagh McKenna, food writer Suzanne Campbell, chef Janine Kennedy, food consultant Annie Dunne, and retail expert John McDonagh.
The companies were assessed across seven categories including a new award for 2024, the “Organic Sector Champion”:
The full shortlist of producers in their nominated categories are as follows:
Best Irish Organic Product Award
- Burren Smokehouse based in Lisdoonvarna, Clare;
- Waterford Distillers from Waterford town;
- The Merry Mill, Stradbally, Laois;
- Coghlan’s Artisan Bakers from Naas, Kildare;
- Carraig Rua Bakery, Carrick-on-Shannon, Leitrim.
Best Irish Organic Private Label Product Award
- Irish Country Meats, Enniscorthy, Wexford;
- All About Kombucha based in Claregalway, Galway;
- The Nest Box Egg Company, Castleblaney, Monaghan;
- Culinary Microherbs from Fingal, Dublin.
Best Irish Organic Product Export Award
- Bantry Bay Premium Seafoods, Cork;
- Wild Irish Seaweeds from Quilty, Clare;
- Waterford Distillers from Waterford town;
- The Nest Box Egg Company, Castleblaney, Monaghan;
- Flahavans, Kilmacthomas, Waterford.
Best New and Innovative Irish Organic Product
- Nik’s Tea from Rathcoole, Dublin;
- Nibbed Cacao based in Athenry, Galway;
- Garryhinch Wood Exotic Mushrooms, Portarlington, Offaly;
- Culinary Microherbs, Fingal, Dublin;
- Wild Irish Seaweeds, Quilty, Clare.
Direct to Consumer Excellence Award
- Burren Smokehouse, Lisdoonvarna, Clare;
- Green Earth Organics, Corrandulla, Galway;
- Nibbed Cacao, Athenry, Galway;
- All About Kombucha, Claregalway, Galway;
- The Merry Mill, Stradbally, Laois.
Business in the Community Award
- Urban Co-Op, Limerick;
- Townley Hall Walled Garden, Drogheda, Louth;
- Oilean Glas Teoranta, Kilcar, Donegal;
- All About Kombucha, Claregalway, Galway;
- Burren Smokehousem, Lisdoonvarna, Clare.
Commenting on the selection of short-listed producers, Emmet Doyle, organic sector manager in Bord Bia, said:
‘The National Organic Awards is an opportunity to shine a light on the quality of Ireland’s thriving organic sector and highlight some of the producers who continue to drive the sector from strength to strength.
“From speaking to our esteemed judges, the calibre of entries was excellent this year, which is reflected in the companies shortlisted.”
The winners of the National Organic Awards 2024 will get a one-to-one session with Bord Bia’s client capability team, who will help develop a bespoke package of supports to meet individual company needs up to the value of €5,000.
Meanwhile, Irish Organic Association CEO, Gillian Westbrook said: “It is great to see so many wonderful organic food businesses being recognised and acknowledged for the day-to-day work that they do producing high-quality organic products for consumers both at home and abroad.
“The range of world-class organic products across the different categories shows the tremendous potential for Irish organic food to become a staple on Irish menus and further afield.
“The work of these organic food businesses is also a credit to all the farmers and growers who grow your food, supplying the very best of organic produce to many of these businesses and together helping to make Ireland more organic.
“As the supply of high-quality Irish organic produce continues to develop, and with good demand for organic food amongst Irish and other European consumers, there are great opportunities for more Irish food businesses to go organic,” she concluded