CORK BUSINESSES DOMINATE THE SHORTLIST AS THE GOOD FOOD IRELAND® AWARDS RETURN

press release

CORK BUSINESSES DOMINATE THE SHORTLIST 

AS THE GOOD FOOD IRELAND® AWARDS RETURN

Margaret Jeffares, Founder and Managing Director of Good Food Ireland, and Simon Coveney T.D., Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment at launch of highly-coveted Good Food Ireland Awards. 

 

Good Food Ireland® is delighted to announce the shortlisted finalists for its highly-regarded awards. County Cork was revealed to have an impressive 14 finalists shortlisted – the most of any county in Ireland.

The winners are due to be revealed at a high-profile business lunch taking place on Monday 17^th April at The K Club, County Kildare.

The awards are unique in their cross-sector approach and core criteria around commitment to local Irish produce and the organisers are delighted to have them back after the Covid enforced gap. They aim to enhance linkages between agriculture and tourism and present significant opportunities for stimulating local production, retaining tourism earnings in the local area, and improving the distribution of economic benefits of tourism to the four corners of the island.

An independent panel of Irish and International leaders including Founder and Managing Director of Good Food Ireland® Margaret Jeffares, journalists John Wilson and Amii McKeever, IFAC Consultant Stephanie Walsh and Executive Chairman and Owner of Odyssey International Kevin Shannon, shortlisted the nominees from those businesses approved by Good Food Ireland®, subject to meeting strict criteria through onsite inspection. The expert panel will select the overall winner following mystery inspections and assessments.

The winners are due to be revealed at a high-profile business lunch taking place on
Monday 17th April at The K Club (above), County Kildare.

Featuring across 10 different categories, the County Cork businesses who made the shortlist are:

Hotel Of The Year – Hayfield Manor and Celtic Ross Hotel

Culinary Haven Of The Year – Ballymaloe House Hotel

Restaurant Of The Year – Fishy Fishy

Pub Of The Year – The Lifeboat Inn

Shop Of The Year – The Roughty Foodie

Food Truck Of The Year – The Garden Cafe Truck at Ballymaloe Cookery School and CRAFT West Cork at The Celtic Ross Hotel

Excellence In Food Tourism Award – Ballymaloe Cookery School Organic Farm & Gardens

Producer Of The Year (Fish & Seafood) – Ummera Smoked Products and "K'O'Connell Fish Merchants”

Producer Of The Year (Bakery & Chocolate) – Koko Kinsale and Praline

Producer Of The Year (Drinks) – Five Farms Irish Cream Liqueur

The public also has the opportunity to cast their votes for their favourite places across the island of Ireland in the Food Lovers Choice Award. The shortlist will be drawn from the finalists in all other categories. Online voting will commence on Tuesday 7^th March and remain open until Monday 20^th March.

Other awards of recognition will include Outstanding Contribution to Food Production, Outstanding Contribution to Irish Food/Drink Internationally and Lifetime Achievement Award.

Returning for the first time since pre-Covid, the awards – proudly sponsored by Kerrygold, Irish Farmers Association, Bord Bia, Tourism Ireland and National Dairy Council – will be opened by guest of honour, Simon Coveney T.D., Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and attended by some 300 guests including business owners, Irish and international chefs, buyers, food and drink writers, media and industry leaders. Anita Mendiratta, Special Advisor to the Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, will deliver the afternoon’s Key Note speech.

Margaret Jeffares, Founder and Managing Director of Good Food Ireland® says: "There is great excitement around the return of The Good Food Ireland® Awards this year to celebrate the successful collaboration of cross-sector businesses working together for inclusive economic growth.

“All of those wonderful businesses who have made the shortlist are a committed collection of passionate and driven people who genuinely capture the essence of Ireland's food and drink, setting it in a cultural context to inspire travellers, international consumers and locals to seek out real authenticity and Irish provenance. All the judges would like to extend our congratulations to them all and wish everyone the best of luck for the 17^th April."

See the full shortlist of finalists below. For full details on the individual awards, tickets to the event, and general information about Good Food Ireland® visit goodfoodireland.ie

 

 

About the Awards:

The 2023 Good Food Ireland® Awards are proudly sponsored by Kerrygold, Irish Farmers Association, Tourism Ireland, Bord Bia, IFAC and National Dairy Council.

All businesses approved by Good Food Ireland, subject to meeting strict criteria through onsite inspection, are eligible for the awards. An independent panel of industry experts will create a shortlist of finalists in each of the award categories. Following further onsite mystery inspection and assessment the winners will be selected. The public will also have an opportunity to vote from a shortlist of finalists for their Favourite Place to Eat, Favourite Food or Drink Producer or Favourite Place to Shop in each of the tourism regions across the island of Ireland.

 

Norma Kelly of Mitchelstown's Praline displays some of her delicious sweet things!

FULL 2023 GOOD FOOD IRELAND® AWARDS FINALISTS

Hotel Of The Year

Grand Central Hotel Belfast

Hayfield Manor, Cork

Celtic Ross Hotel, Cork

Anantara The Marker Dublin Hotel, Dublin

The Merrion, Dublin

The Europe Hotel & Resort, Kerry

The K Club, Kildare

The Dunraven Adare, Limerick

 

Culinary Haven Of The Year

The Bushmills Inn, Co Antrim

Killeavy Castle Estate, Armagh

Ballymaloe House Hotel, Cork

BrookLodge & Macreddin Village, Wicklow

Killeen House Hotel & Rozzers Restaurant, Kerry

Cashel House Hotel, Galway

Rathmullan House, Donegal

Ghan House, Louth

 

Restaurant Of The Year

Fish City, Antrim

An Port Mor, Mayo

Prime 74, Tipperary

The Lemon Tree Restaurant, Donegal

Potager Restaurant, Dublin

Woodruff Restaurant, Dublin

Aniar, Galway

Fishy Fishy, Cork

Hugo's, Dublin

 

Pub Of The Year

The King's Head, Galway

The Glyde Inn, Louth

The Tavern Bar & Restaurant, Mayo

Harte's of Kildare, Kildare

Mikey Ryan's Bar & Kitchen, Tipperary

The Lifeboat Inn, Cork

The Oarsman, Leitrim

Rusty Mackerel, Donegal

 

Café Of The Year

Sweet n Green, Clare

Kelly's Kitchen Café, Newport

Farmhouse Café & Bakery, Dublin

GROW HQ, Waterford

Fennelly's of Callan, Kilkenny

The Hungry Bear Café, Wexford

Barrons Bakery & Coffee House, Waterford

Kelly's Café, Wexford

 

Shop Of The Year

The Roughty Foodie, Cork

Country Choice, Tipperary

Buddy's Farmers Market, Dublin

Brogan's Butchers, Meath

Cavistons Seafood Restaurant & Food Emporium, Dublin

Leaf & Larder Delicatessen & Bakery, Kerry

Firecastle, Kildare

 

Food Truck Of The Year

The Garden Cafe Truck at Ballymaloe Cookery School, Cork

CRAFT West Cork at The Celtic Ross Hotel, Cork

Koha Street Kitchen, Sligo

SEABISCUIT at The Strand Cahore, Wexford

 

Sustainability Award

GROW HQ, Waterford

BrookLodge & Macreddin Village, Wicklow

Connemara Smokehouse, Galway

Oriel Sea Salt, Louth

Fish City, Antrim

Atlantis of Kilmore Quay, Wexford

O' Shea Farms, Kilkenny

 

Excellence In Food Tourism Award

Long Meadow Cider, Armagh

Burren Smokehouse & Visitor Centre, Clare

Ballymaloe Cookery School Organic Farm & Gardens, Cork

Wilde Irish Chocolates, Clare

Vintage Tea Trips, Dublin

The Glyde Inn, Louth

Coppenagh House Farm, Carlow

Producer Of The Year – Fruit & Vegetables

"Garryhinch Wood Exotic Mushrooms", Offaly

The Apple Farm, Tipperary

O'Shea Farms, Waterford

Kearns Fruit Farm, Wexford

 

Producer Of The Year - Meat

Coppenagh House Farm, Carlow

Market House Ennistymon, Clare

Calvey's Achill Mountain Lamb, Mayo

Jane Russell's Original Irish Sausages, Kildare

Kelly's of Newport, Mayo

Donabate Dexter, Dublin

 

Producer Of The Year - Fish & Seafood

Burren Smokehouse, Clare

Ummera Smoked Products, Cork

"K'O'Connell Fish Merchants ", Cork

Realt na Mara Shellfish, Kerry

Atlantis of Kilmore Quay, Wexford

 

Producer Of The Year – Bakery & Chocolate

Koko Kinsale, Cork

Praline, Cork

Jinny's Bakery & Tea Rooms, Leitrim

Walshe's Bakehouse, Waterford

Ditty's Bakery, Derry

 

Producer Of The Year - Drinks

Armagh Cider Company, Armagh

Jackford Irish Gin, Wexford

Western Herd Brewing Company, Clare

Five Farms Irish Cream Liqueur, Cork

Dew Drop Inn & Brewhouse, Kildare

 

Producer Of The Year - Dairy

Glastry Farm Ice Cream, Down

The Village Dairy, Carlow

Freezin Friesian, Waterford

Killowen Farm, Wexford

Boyne Valley Farmhouse Cheese, Meath

 

Producer Of The Year - Jams & Savoury

Wexford Home Preserves, Wexford

Leahy Beekeeping, Galway

Achill Island Sea Salt, Mayo

Wild Irish Foragers & Preservers, Offaly

Harnett's Oils, Down

Keogh's Crisps, Dublin

 

Producer of the Year

Supreme Award

Outstanding Contribution to Food Production

Outstanding Contribution to Irish Food and Drink Internationally

Lifetime Achievement Award

Good Food Ireland®

goodfoodireland.ie

@goodfoodireland

Carole's Back with Crackpots Encore.

Carole's Back with Crackpots Encore. 

Hake

It’s a big bravo to Carole Norman on her return to the Kinsale restaurant scene. Three years ago, she closed the doors on the original Crackpots. But couldn’t stay away and you’ll find her now every weekend at Crackpots Encore in Cork Street. You’ll also find a warm welcome, good food based mostly in local produce and, if it’s a Friday evening, you’ll have the bonus of Billy Crosbie on the piano and a guest (or two, perhaps!). 

Platter

Carole has that hospitality gene in abundance and the trademark warm welcome had us settled even before we are seated and studying the menu. A menu with a twist. Instead of starters, you are offered Platters. Have one for yourself or order a bigger one for sharing. Great variety and good value too. And yes, you may also have soup, oysters perhaps, mussels too.

Those Platters include Spanish Tapas, Patés on Parade and a Seafood Platter with prawns, oysters, mussels, and smoked salmon included. Hard to resist the superb Taste of Ireland (Irish cheese and charcuterie, including spiced beef from the local butcher just up the street) and a helping of Ballymaloe Relish! 

The table tops are a decent size here but if you get one of those large platters, it makes for a tight squeeze. A delicious one though as we found out when we shared the Middle Eastern, a board loaded with Falafels, creamy Hummus, pomegranate tabouleh, roasted aubergine, artichoke hearts, olives, toasted pitta breads, stuffed vine-leaves.

Curry

There is a long wine list here, quite a few available by the glass as well. All kinds of spirits too and some gorgeous cocktails. I went for the local Black’s beer, always enjoy their superb ale.

Chef John Paul McCarthy comes into his own with the Plat du Jour, which features a short but ever-changing list of main courses with something guaranteed for fish lovers, meat eaters and something too for the vegan/vegetarian. You might find a Rib-eye steak, a pan-seared chicken supreme, a Monkfish red Thai curry, or a  mixed bean chilli, for example.

A classic

Our set of choices included a Baked fillet of Hake with teriyaki glaze on shredded Pak Choi, chilli and garlic and with basmati rice (or fries) and it was perfectly cooked, well presented and a terrific combination. We choose the rice and that also featured in another excellent dish: Chicken Massaman Curry, slow cooked in Thai spices and coconut milk and served with basmati rice and a green salad.

Other mains on offer on the night included Roasted Cauliflower cutlets, with a smoked tomato and red pepper sauce and olive tapenade and a Rib-eye with caramelised red onions, peppercorn sauce and hand-cut chips.

We had made an early start and as we were looking at the dessert menu, the punters were streaming in. It was Friday night and it was obvious that quite a few regulars had booked around this time, knowing that Billy Crosbie would soon be tinkling those ivories. He soon was and the lovely buzz increased. From Abba to Andy Williams, Beatles to Buble – Billy can play “almost” anything!!

We just had to be somewhere else later on but enjoyed our sample of Crackpots craic as we shared a dessert. Like some of Mr Crosbie’s numbers, this was a classic: Poached Pears in mulled red wine. And it was a terrific version. The list is short but also includes an excellent Irish cheese plate. If you’d like something small with your coffee, you can treat yourself to the local Koko chocolates. Pity we had to go. Next time we’ll give yourselves more time at Crackpots Encore.

Crackpots Encore 

3 Cork St, Kinsale, Co. Cork

tel: 087 649 1322

Taste of the Week. Koko Chocolate

Taste of the Week

Koko Chocolate

Frank Keane, owner and producer at Koko of Kinsale, has a website but you won't get much info there. He is a man that prefers to chat rather than write, though he does "chat", sometimes cheeklily, on Facebook - find him @kokokinsale. 

Francis makes his handmade artisan chocolate in the heart of Kinsale. Also sells "Delicious coffee, teas and most importantly real hot chocolate and our signature chocolate shots". To find out a bit more about Koko, see the article I did about him about a year back.

To find out more about his chocolate, just call to his place on the Pier Road in the town and buy. Just like I did for this delicious Taste of the Week. As you can see, the embedded ingredients, the nuts, the raisins, the orange are all classic with chocolate and you may get this bar in milk or dark versions. I really enjoyed this one and the real treat was the pieces with the orange. Magnificent!

Koko on little break at present; will re-open Friday 13th Jan '17

Koko Chocolate

Pier Road

Kinsale

Co. Cork

Tel: 087 6110209

Email: kokokinsale@gmail.com

Koko Chocolate Kinsale

Koko Chocolate Kinsale
Frank's Answer to Recession

So there you are, after the recession and wiped out. Not the time for a knee jerk reaction. Count to ten, maybe. Well Frank Keane’s count to ten took him eight months and his decision took him from shock to choc!

For twenty one years before the recession left him high (low, maybe) and dry, Frank had dealt in collectable ceramics in Kinsale, in the same premises where he now makes Koko chocolates. Things were good but, like many another, he got ambushed when the Tiger’s roar died, going backwards before the final “wipe-out”.

What would he do now? What could he do. He looked to the kitchen. Under his mother’s influence he had always loved the kitchen. But, at fifty, he didn't want to start at the bottom with someone half his age telling him what to do.

Giant chilli caramel

Chocolate was the answer that came to him. And so, four years ago, he took a short two day course with Benoit Lorge in Kenmare and has been learning ever since, and enjoying life, even if the commitment is huge - seven days a week.

Citing Mast Brothers of Brooklyn and London as an inspiration, he “learns new stuff every day”. It helps that “chocolate is a very forgiving substance. If something doesn't turn out well, you can melt it down and start again.”

Ireland is a good place to make chocolate but even here the weather can be a problem. “On a wet day, especially with high humidity, the excess moisture can be a problem. And on a hot summer’s day, it is impossible to work."

My favourite. Well, one of many!

 “Chocolate should be fun,” he says. “Put a smile on customers faces, adults as well as kids! I am often asked, Can you do this? I say I’ll give it a go and if it works it works”.

He had an unusual request over the recent Bank Holiday weekend. His premises were to be one of the calls on a James Bond theme arranged by a wife as part of her husband's 40th birthday celebrations. The party group were split into fours and at least one group was calling to Koko where they would find a chocolate grenade and hidden inside was 007’s favourite drink, the Martini (shaken, not stirred). I had an envious look.

Milk chocolate ganache

 Frank makes the chocolate upstairs. We were sampling as we spoke and one that really caught my attention was the Ginger-Honey-Seaweed combination, a marvellous concentration of flavours and a very long finish indeed. Superb and as Frank pointed out, all three ingredients are good for you!

His own favorite - it changes weekly! - is the Rum Truffle. “You can't go wrong with a Rum Truffle, particularly if you have enough rum!”

Halloween choc and awe!

Kirsch is another liquor that Frank uses. He uses Balkan Cherries, stones out, stalks on, and soaks them for ages in a big bucket of Kirsch. Then they are dipped in dark chocolate and are divine! He also uses the likes of crystallised orange and ginger.

Christmas, fast approaching, is a peak time for Koko. And, as Frank relies on local customers (he doesn't do wholesale), he is always hoping for reasonable weather in the two weeks before the holiday, so that people can comfortably use the roads and get to Kinsale.

 And everything here is fresh. “Everything you see here was started in the last two days. You get fresh stock, nothing is old here, it just turns over.” Quite a commitment but he gets great satisfaction from his work and loves having his own business.

By the way, he is right in the heart of the town, opposite the main car park alongside the tourist office. So do call in and take a look and while you are there you may also have a cup of coffee, maybe a hot chocolate? And, buying or looking, you are assured of a hearty welcome from Frank.