The Best of the Decade Awards are about looking back and acknowledging those who have gone the extra mile and whose efforts have impacted change, but they are also about looking forward and taking a glimpse into the future.
Founding Members
Aqua Restaurant,Dublin
Ballycross Apple Farm, Co Wexford
Ballymaloe Cookery School, Co Cork
Ballymaloe Country Relish, Co Cork
Ballymaloe House, Co Cork
Ballyvolane House & Blackwater Salmon Fishery, Co Cork
Burren Smokehouse & Visitor Centre, Co Clare
Carrygerry Country House, Co Clare
Caviston’s Food Emporium & Seafood Restaurant, Co Dublin
Chapter One, Dublin
Connemara Smokehouse, Co Galway
Country Choice, Co Tipperary
Ditty’s Home Bakery & Coffee Shop, Co Derry
Donnybrook Fair, Dublin
Dunne and Crescenzi, Dublin
ely Wine Bar, Dublin
Farmgate Café, Cork
Farmgate Restaurant & Country Store, Co Cork
Fishy Fishy Café, Co Cork
Ghan House, Co Louth
Gleeson’s Restaurant & Rooms, Co Roscommon
Gorman’s Clifftop House & Restaurant, Co Kerry
G’s Gourmet Jams, Co Laois
Hayfield Manor Hotel, Cork
Jack McCarthy Meats, Co Cork
Jane Russell’s Original Irish Sausages, Co Kildare
Kelly’s Butchers, Co Mayo
Kelly’s Resort Hotel & Spa, Co Wexford
Larkins Bar & Restaurant, Co Tipperary
L’Ecrivain, Dublin
Lorge Chocolatier, Co Kerry
Merrion Hotel, Dublin
Mossfield Organic Farm, Co Offaly
Newforge House, Co Armagh
O’Connells in Ballsbridge, Dublin
O’Neills Pub, Dublin
QC’s Seafood Bar, Restaurant & Rooms, Co Kerry
Rathmullan House, Co Donegal
Ryan’s Arbutus Breads, Co Cork
The Apple Farm, Co Tipperary
The Chocolate Garden of Ireland, Co Carlow
Ummera Smoked Products, Co Cork
URRU Culinary Store, Co Cork
White Gables Restaurant, Co Galway
Whitehorses Restaurant, Co Waterford
FOOD CHAMPION – Sponsored by Úduarás na Gealtachta
Winner Birgitta Hedin-Curtin, Burren Smokehouse, Co Clare
This award honours a person who has worked to drive and influence the Irish food scene within the last ten years. A passionate and committed individual, who through their work in growing, farming, producing or cooking with Irish food, has also made an outstanding contribution to raising the profile of Ireland as a top quality destination for discerning food lovers.
Shortlist:
INTERNATIONAL AMBASSADOR OF THE DECADE – Sponsored by EPIC Ireland
The Ambassador of the Decade Award highlights an individual or group who has joined Good Food Ireland in volunteering to promote Irish food at home and abroad. This award highlights efforts which have gone beyond the call of duty, to help gain recognition for Ireland as a first class culinary destination.
Group Honourees honoured on the night:
RISING STAR – Sponsored by Shannon Heritage
Winner – Highbank Organic Orchards, Kilkenny
The Rising Star of the Decade highlights an individual, business or team which has adapted and added value over the last ten years, to bring a new dynamism to business, which in turn has had a direct result in increasing business and raising awareness of Ireland through its food.
Shortlist:
SAVVY SOCIAL – Sponsored by House of Waterford Crystal
Winner: Lemon Tree Restaurant, Letterkenny, Co Donegal
The Savvy Social business must think in terms of their specific business on this level playing field where size doesn’t matter, rather a combination of time, quality content and engagement does. The Savvy Social award will go to a member who has not only grasped the concept of using modern social media platforms in the professional arena, but who fully understands the power of technology to get the word out about their business and connect with people, integration of channels, use of different formats such as video, podcast, blog posts etc., and most importantly offers constant and consistent delivery of different types of content to their audience. A savvy social would also ensure they have integrated their social platforms to their website and instore/inhouse and printed materials.
Shortlist:
GOOD FOOD IRELAND HALL OF FAME – Sponsored by TrekkSoft
Mrs Veronica Steele – Milleens Cheese, Co Cork
The Good Food Ireland Hall of Fame honours individuals for their consistent, sometimes behind the scenes, beyond the call contribution and dedication to good Irish food and tourism at home and abroad. It also recognises the next generation, those who have influenced, inspired or effected change amongst Ireland’s youth, and those who will take forward with diligence a unanimous love of Irish food and hospitality. Past Honourees include Myrtle Allen of Ballymaloe House, Good Food Ireland Chairman Redmond O’Donoghue and Paddy Cosgrave of Web Summit.
Honouree being Awarded
Mrs Veronica Steele, Milleen’s Cheese
“an iconic cheesemaker who created Ireland’s first farmhouse cheese, and has also spent years educating many young cheesemakers in the art, as well as travelling abroad to help women in impoverished areas learn how to make cheese so they can make a living and support their families. Veronica is a world class educator, a woman with a huge sense of humour and enormous sense of responsibility to her profession. She has enriched the lives of the many people who have crossed her path, always ready with advice or helpful tips for anyone in the food industry, cheese maker or not. A worthy Good Food Ireland Hall of Fame honouree, Veronica has made over forty years of contribution to Irish food production and to raising the profile of Irish farmhouse cheeses at home and abroad”