25 March 2011
2011 Northern Ireland Food and Drink Award Winners Revealed.
NIFDA Award Winners Revealed
Northern Ireland’s finest producers have been honoured at this year’s Ulster Bank supported Northern Ireland Food and Drink Awards. Winners in nine categories were commended for excellence in new products, training, supplier chain, best restaurant, food programmes and contribution to the industry and received their prestigious awards at Belfast’s Ramada Plaza Hotel on Friday 25th March.
The Ulster Bank Best New Product (large company) was presented to Dungannon based beef and lamb processors Linden Foods for their ‘Rosemary and Garlic Leg of Lamb’ whilst Ards Peninsula based Glastry Farm Ice-Cream picked up Best New Product by a small company with their Kilbeggan Whiskey Ice-Cream. The Service Sector Award backed by Invest NI, was awarded to Lisnaskea meats company Kettyle Irish Foods for its ‘free range peat and heather smoked chicken breast’ with Hannan Meats winning the DARD Supply Chain Excellence in Farming Award. The Moira based food company was commended for a full range of products including Glenarm Estates Organic Shorthorn Beef and Lamb, fresh and smoked Glenarm Organic Salmon and Joseph and Stephen O’Neill free range rare breed pigs.
The Food & Drink Sector Skills award for Training Excellence was presented to Deirdre Fitzpatrick & Associates in partnership with Full Circle Management Solutions, for their organisation’s ‘Seed Food & Fisheries Development Programme.’ The 2011 NI Regional Food Programme award winner for best promotional event/initiative was Belfast City Council in recognition of their 2010 Great Belfast Food Week, which celebrated Northern Ireland’s unique food culture and history and encouraged the public to enjoy and support our local agri-food industry.
The Northern Ireland Good Food is in our Nature People’s Award was presented to Suki Tea for their Fairtrade organic Earl Grey Blue Flower tea and the 2011 Taste of Ulster Restaurant of the Year went to Lisburn based steakhouse and urban grill, Del Toro.
High profile Ballymena businessman Billy O’Kane from O’Kane Poultry was named the 2011 recipient of the Ulster Bank award for Outstanding Contribution to NI Food and Drink. Mr O’Kane carried on the mantle which his father began in 1932 and further expanded the award winning O’Kane Poultry, creating one of Northern Ireland’s key suppliers to the retail and food service sectors in both the UK and Ireland. The company later merged with Craigavon based Moy Park and in November opened a new high-tech turkey processing plant at its Ballymena base.
Speaking at the NIFDA Awards ceremony, Ian Jordan, Head of Business and Commercial Banking, Ulster Bank said, “These awards clearly demonstrate that Northern Ireland can compete with the very best food companies in the world and I would like to congratulate all the winners and runners-up for their commitment, hard work and innovative approach to business development. Our own involvement with the Balmoral Show complements this sponsorship; and underlines our enthusiasm for and commitment to the agri-food sector.”
NIFDA Executive Director Michael Bell also congratulated all the winners and short-listed companies and paid tribute to principal sponsor Ulster Bank, the judging panel and all ancillary sponsors. “This year’s awards attracted a record level of entries from a diverse range of producers and organisations throughout Northern Ireland giving the judges an extremely tough challenge. Each year our members continue to raise the bar, show tremendous endeavour and enthusiasm as they successfully operate in today’s difficult economic climate.”
The biennial awards programme organised by the Northern Ireland Food & Drinks Association (NIFDA) is supported by principal sponsor Ulster Bank as well as prestige sponsors ASDA, M&S, Sainsbury’s and Tesco. Partnership sponsors of the awards are DARD, LMC, Ulster Pork and Bacon Forum, Invest NI, food and drinks sector skills council, Improve and the Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme.
Photos from the Awards can be viewed in the Photo Gallery.
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