Last week we were invited to Dublin for lunch yesterday by Bord Bia to celebrate the National Organic Awards 2009. Unfortunately, we couldn’t make it so imagine our surprise (and delight) when we received a phone call from the Sunday Tribune congratulating us on our award!
Ummera’s Smoked Organic Salmon had received a Highly Commended in the Best Organic Retail Product, coming second to Glenisk’s Organic Greek Style Natural Yoghurt.
The other Awards were:
Best Overall Product
Winner: Moon Shine Farmhouse Milk Company, Kelly’s Organics, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath
Best Organic Retail Product
Winner: Organic Greek Style Natural Yoghurt, Glenisk, Killeigh, Co. Offaly
Highly Commended: Irish Smoked Organic Salmon, Ummera Smoked Products Ltd, Timoleague, Co. Cork
Best Organic Local Product
Winner: Moon Shine Farmhouse Milk, Kelly’s Organics, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath
Highly Commended: Dark Choc Almond Cake, Organic Choice, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin
Best Organic Export Product
Winner: St Tola Goats Log Company, Inagh Farmhouse Cheese, Co. Clare
Highly Commended: Flahavans Organic Jumbo Oats 1kg, Flahavans, Co. Waterford
Best Organic New Product
Winner: Organic Gluten Free Real Wholegrain Bread Mix , Sowan’s Organic Bread mix, Dublin
Highly Commended: Original Steakhouse Company, Goodherdsmen, Cahir, Co. Tipperary
Best Organic Sustainable Product
Winner: Happy Heart Oil Rapeseed Oil, Drumeen Farm, Urlingford, Co. Kilkenny
Highly Commended: Organic Galloway Steakburger, Omega Beef Direct, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary
The independent judging panel chaired by Hugo Arnold, journalist and Food Consultant included Cian Doorley, Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland; Evan Doyle, Proprietor Brooklodge Wells and Spa; Darren Grant, Proprietor, The Organic Supermarket Blackrock, Co Dublin and Oliver Moore, journalist, researcher and organic blogger.
Today’s Awards took place on the first day of National Organic Week, which runs from the 14th – 20th September. “To celebrate organic producers, retailers and farmers markets nationwide will host over 50 events including cookery demonstrations; workshops; BBQs; farm walks and in store tastings” commented Teresa Brophy, Ireland Market Manager, Bord Bia. “It is an ideal opportunity for organic producers and processors to organise events at a national and local level to increase consumer awareness of locally produced organic food.”
Event highlights include Clodagh McKenna’s cookery demonstration at the Nano Nagle Centre, Co, Cork on Wednesday 16th; Women in Organic Horticultural Training (WOHT) training courses and seminars at the Organic Centre, Rossinver, Co. Leitrim on the 16th and the Organic Centre’s Annual Harvest Celebration on Thursday 17th. Jenny and Peter Young, Castlefarm Shop, Athy, Co. Kildare, will host an organic farm walk on Saturday 19th including vegetable harvesting and cookery demonstrations, whilst Peter Ward from Country Choice, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary is organising the annual Blas an Fhomhair organic lunch, also on the 19th. (Full list of events on the Bord Bia website)