I was delighted to have been invited to be a judge at this year’s IQFA Awards. I spent two days in Dublin with a range of really interesting people judging everything from Christmas puddings, mince pies, frozen desserts, ice cream, chocolates, gluten free sausages, bread, butter, spreads, cakes, cheeses and yogurts. Phew!! It was great! Such a range excellent of foods, so many wonderful producers and the quality was fantastic!

And so, following a huge wave of entries and 8 days of tough judging, the shortlisted products for the Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards have been announced today. Check out the shortlisted producers here.
The 180 shortlisted food and drink products in 50 categories were whittled down from 606 entries and are now in with a chance to win one of the prestigious awards in a glittering ceremony hosted by TV Chef and author Catherine Fulvio on 11th September in the Round Room, Mansion House, Dublin.

This year for the first time a panel of judges from Musgrave Retail Partners chose finalists for the Small Producer of the Year Award – designed to celebrate artisanal foods and drink in Ireland and sponsored by SuperValu. The winner will be offered a prestigious listing in SuperValu stores. Finalists are:
• Chicken Liver Paté with Garlic & Brandy – On The Pig’s Back c/o La Charcuterie Irlandaise Ltd

• Scotts Irish Cider – Big Hand Brewing Company Ltd

• Sweet BBQ Pulled Pork – Jack & Keith Molloy Bros. Ltd

Organiser, Helen Lyons, is thrilled with the success of the awards so far and said the judging was a “fantastic 8 days which brought together some of the very best food and drink on sale in Ireland and many of the Nation’s top foodies”.
The Irish Quality Food Awards set out to recognise excellence in product development for food and drink producers, retailers and catering companies in Ireland only, with Q Awards being awarded across 50 different categories. The Overall Gold Q is awarded to the one product that stands out among all the other entries and is chosen from the winners of the main categories, representing the very best of the best.
The awards are open to all retailers, food producers, wholesalers and food service operators across Northern and Southern Ireland. They are a unique collaboration between Food and Hospitality Ireland and the UK Quality Food and Drink Awards (now in its 33rd year) and sponsored by top UK packaging manufacturer, Benson Group as well as Invest Northern Ireland and MLS Labelling & Printing Systems.
All excess food from the judging was given to The Capuchin Centre for Homeless People, which provides warm food each day and more than 1800 food hampers a week to vulnerable people in Dublin, and FareShare. Learn more about The Capuchin Centre for Homeless People www.capuchindaycentre.ie.