Seven food and beverage companies have been awarded accolades in the SuperValu Irish Food Producers 2011, in association with Enterprise Ireland. The Awards, which took place in Dublin, recognise excellence, quality and innovation within the food and beverage sector in Ireland. From hundreds of entries, six winning category entries were chosen and the Irish Food Producer of the Year 2011 was named.
Westmeath Company Oliver Carty Ltd, which supplies pork products to SuperValu nationwide, was named the overall Irish Food Producer of the Year. Oliver Carty Ltd was chosen for their considerable investment in new packaging technology, as well as the new and innovative products they have brought to the market this year.
Category winners included:
- Best Newcomer: Farmers to Market
- Best for Quality: Dunn’s of Dublin
- Best for Innovation: Oliver Carty Ltd.
- Best Fresh Product: Keeling’s Ltd.
- Best Local Producer: St. Tola Goat Cheese
- The People’s Choice: Barry’s Tea (Ireland’s favourite Irish brand)
Congratulating the winning companies, Martin Kelleher MD SuperValu said, “Ireland’s food and beverage sector is Ireland’s largest indigenous sector and is renowned as one of the best in the world. The SuperValu Irish Food Producer Awards are all about celebrating Irish companies who give this sector its deserving reputation. I want to congratulate Oliver Carty Ltd., all of the other winning companies and entrants in this year’s Award who work tirelessly all year round work to consistently deliver quality, fresh, local produce.”
“SuperValu is proud to support Irish suppliers and the Awards are an opportunity to celebrate them. 75% of everything stocked in SuperValu stores is sourced or produced in Ireland and all of our meat, fish and poultry is 100% Irish.”
“We look forward to continuing and developing new partnerships with Irish suppliers in the year ahead at SuperValu, to help ensure that our food and beverage sector in Ireland continues to thrive and that customers have their choice of fresh, Irish products in all of our stores.”
The Irish Food Producers Awards are a further example of SuperValu’s commitment to Irish suppliers and producers which includes sales of over €1 billion worth of fresh Irish food every year. In 2010 the total purchases of Irish goods and services made by SuperValu, was worth over €1.6bn to the Irish economy, serving to both create and protect almost 30,000 Irish jobs in the farm, food and retail sector.
Source: musgravegroup – Winners of SuperValu Irish Food Producers Awards 2011 announced
