The Irish Quality Food Awards 2023

The full list of winners can be found here on the IGFDA23 webpage.

I am honoured to be a judge and presenter for the 10th year of Irish Quality Food & Drink Awards

A. Some new products I am adding to my shopping trolley, these products really stood out amongst the judges I spoke to, some I judged myself.  I have listed them according to independent products and own brand products to help you with your shopping!

• ONiT crispy onions, original flavour - delicious crispy onions, great to add to so many dishes
  
• Promise Gluten Free Rustic White Loaf - Fabulous gluten free bread
• Oakpark Unsmoked White Pudding, Honeyvale Foods
• Temptation Chocolates - The Caramel Collection - buying chocolates for someone special, these were divine, & I got to taste them all!
• Little Red's Chipotle BBQ - for summer BBQ or if you like a kick this is highly recommended
• West of Dingle Smokehouse Rub - apparently it is great, a little goes a long way.
• Keogh's Sweet Chilli Crisps
• Pestle + Mortar Basil Pesto Houmous, Galmere Fresh Foods
• Clonmore Farm Organic Mixed Salad Leaves, apparently it tastes like lettuce you grown yourself
• Dawn Meats Vintage Reserve Tomahawk Steak
• Hanleys Puddings Mitchelstown Homemade White Pudding
• Xin Gin, Ahascragh Distillers - might give this gin a go!
• Devils Churn caramel sauce - worth trying was winner as small producer of the year

DUNNES STORES

• Dunnes Stores Simply Better Handmade Carrot and Walnut Cake, Wildberry Bakery - beautiful light cake with a balanced topping, it went on to win product of the year!
• Dunnes Stores Simply Better Handmade Irish Salami with Fennel, Corndale Farm - sold like a mini sausage, really delicious
• Dunnes Stores Simply Better Handmade Irish Raspberry Bakewell Slices, Carleton Cake Company - ideal if you want a homemade style cake for afternoon tea!
• Dunnes Stores Simply Better Italian Mascarpone and Gorgonzola, Traditional Cheese Company - I am off to buy this now!
• Dunnes Stores Simply Better Handmade Irish Free Range Chicken Liver Pate, Zanna Cookhouse -I find it can be difficult to buy free range chicken livers so I am off to buy this now too!
• Dunnes Stores Simply Better Aromatic Korma Cooking Sauce, Honed Flavours - for a handy curry
• Dunnes Stores Simply Better West Cork Co-Op Vintage Drinagh Cheddar Cheese, Bandon Vale
• Dunnes Stores Simply Better Normady Butter Vanilla Sable Biscuits, Biscuiterie de l'Abbaye - best biscuits ever I heard!
• Dunnes Stores Delicious Berry Granola, Kestrel Foods-  if I run out of my homemade one I'll buy this!
• Dunnes Stores Simply Better Handmade Buttermilk Ranch, SAGE - apparently it tastes amazing!
• Dunnes Stores Simply Better Organic Lemongrass and Ginger Tea, Solaris Tea - lovely fragrant herbal tea
• Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish Angus Fillet Steaks, Tender Meats
• Dunnes Stores Simply Better Corn Fed Stuffed Chicken Crown, Manor Farm - great for a hassle free festive dinner!
• Dunnes Stores Simply Better Slow Steamed 18 Month Matured Christmas Pudding, Seery's Bakery - If a relative doesn't make a pudding for me I can buy this one!
• Dunnes Stores Laurent Miquel Cote 238 Pech Gentille Albarino 2021, Laurent Miquel - Gold winner
• Dunnes Stores Markus Huber Gruner Veltliner 2022, Weingut Markus Huber -
• Gold winner

ALDI

• Aldi Double Oat Kavanagh Granola, The Foods of Athenry - if I run out of my homemade one I'll buy this!
• Aldi Specially Selected Tipperary Dry Aged Black Angus Rib Eye Steak, ABP Cahir
• Aldi Specially Selected Irish Black Angus Striploin Steak, ABP Cahir
• Aldi 32 Day Matured Angus Fillet Barrell with Red Wine Jus, ABP Cahir
• Aldi Specially Selected Irish Black Angus 40 Day Matured 3 Rib Roast, ABP Cahir
• Aldi Château Billeron Bouquey Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2018 - I love a good wine recommendation!
• Aldi Veuve Monsigny Champagne - Gold winner
• Aldi Specially Selected Beechwood Smoked Maple Flavoured Back Bacon Rashers, Oakpark Foods really good quality & gold winner
• Aldi Specially Selected Hickory Smoked Irish Streaky Bacon Rashers, Oakpark really good quality & gold winner
• Aldi Specially Selected Maple Dry Cured Beechwood Smoked Irish Back Bacon Rashers, really good quality & gold winner

Lidl

• Lidl Deluxe Vintage White Slices, Glenstal - judges were raving about these, particularly the price point!
• Lidl Deluxe Vintage Red Slices, Glenstal - judges were raving about these, particularly the price point!
• Lidl Deluxe Pork and Apple Sausages, Sean Loughnane - great balance
• Lidl Brennans Fresh Pan, Brennan Bakeries - I have been advised I must try this!

Supervalue

• SuperValu Signature Tastes Irish Organic Lightly Smoked Salmon Darnes, Keohane's Seafood
• SuperValu Signature Taste Irish Atlantic Hill Lamb Leg, Kepak

B Some products I have bought previously and I will buy again:

• Aldi Gluten Free Chicken Fillet, Rosie & Jim Tasted great, crunchy coating & kids can air fry it and make a tasty chicken fillet snack!
• Silver Hill Duck Fat
• North Cork Creameries Ór Real Irish Butter - year after year this butter wins gold!
• Ethos Rest Hemp Tea - love this hemp tea, make in Wicklow
• Pizza da Piero Stonebaked Pizza Bases LOVE THESE, our weekend night in is so often assemble your own pizza
• Lidl Ham, Portobello Mushroom and Marscapone Woodfired Sourdough Pizza, Crust & Crumb - this ready made chilled pizza is really good and a fantastic pricepoint
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Dunnes stores

• Dunnes Stores Simply Better handmade Irish ham and vintage cheddar quiche Lorraine by Zanna Cookhouse - great for food on the go, I take it when I am heading sailing for the day!
• Dunnes Stores Simply Better Irish made caramelised hazelnut ice cream by Morelli - doesn't last long!
• Dunnes Stores Simply Better Handmade Sticky Toffee Pudding Crown, What's for Pudding? - I have been known to buy the little tray (5 portions) but this sounds like a great festive dessert!
• Dunnes Stores Simply Better Chateau de Pierreux Brouilly Reserve Du Chateau, Cassidy Wines - I like this one

Below is a reel I created of the awards night so you have an idea of the event!