–The Branding Award – Keelings, the family owned fresh produce business started producing fruits and salads in the 1930’s and today the company employs approximately 2,000 people and has a turnover of €300 million per year. The Keelings brand, with its strapline “Love to Grow”, was launched into the produce category in 2010 and has become the most recognised brand for fruit and vegetables in Irish supermarkets.
-The Consumer Insights Award – Kerry Foods for Cheestrings, a brand, worth approximately €90 million, and available in over 25,000 stores around the world. The judges were particularly impressed by the detailed consumer research undertaken by Kerry in advance of entering the German market. The resultant consumer insight helped build its product positioning which has led to 1 million packs being sold every month in leading German retailers.
-The Innovation Award – Paganini for FitFuel, a protein enriched ice cream range. FitFuel Perform is a recovery product for sportspeople and recreational athletes, while FitFuel Nourish is used by healthcare professionals to boost the protein intake of patients. Paganini was founded by Wexford dairy farmer, Tomas Murphy in 1990 and today, in addition to its business in Ireland, they export to the UK and the Middle East.
-The Success at Home Award – Britvic Ireland for MiWadi, the number one dilute brand in Ireland. Miwadi impressed the judges with a 41% yearly average value market share, having achieved considerable success in recent years with the relaunch of MiWadi, and the launch of double concentrate and no added sugar flavours.
-The Export Award – Glenmar Shellfish. Based in Union Hall, Co. Cork and established over 30 years ago, Glenmar is currently exporting over 2,000 tonnes of shellfish each year to markets such as China, Hong Kong, Korea, Italy, Spain, France and Croatia. They export to seven overseas markets on a daily basis and exports account for 75% of company turnover.
-The Entrepreneurial Award – Irish Atlantic Salt. The O’Neill family developed this range of organic, gourmet Irish sea salt products, using the highest quality waters around the Beara Peninsula to create the only Irish-made white sea salt product available. By 2015, the company hopes export market revenues will represent 80% of total revenues.
-The Sustainability Award
