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Killeavy Castle Estate has just won a Culinary Haven of the Year Special Award at this weeks Good Food Ireland Awards.
What sets the Good Food Ireland Awards apart from all others is their cross-sector approach, celebrating the successful collaboration of agri-food and tourism working together for inclusive economic growth. Each award is underpinned by premium quality, exceptional achievement, innovation, agility and resilience, together with a core commitment to local Irish provenance, community, sustainability and a culture where all can flourish.
Award winners were selected through mystery inspections and assessments of those businesses approved by Good Food Ireland and shortlisted by an independent panel of Irish and International leaders including Founder and Managing Director of Good Food Ireland Margaret Jeffares, journalists John Wilson and Amii McKeever, IFAC Consultant Stephanie Walsh and Executive Chairman and Owner of Odyssey International Kevin Shannon. Members of the public also cast their votes online for their favourite places across the island of Ireland in the Food Lovers Choice Awards.
The Culinary Haven of the Year Special Award was actually a last minute addition to the awards categories as judges were so impressed by Killeavy Castle Estate that they decided a sub category to Culinary Haven of the Year needed to be added in order to give the venue the recognition it deserved. Ballymaloe House Hotel, Cork won the Culinary Haven of the Year Award.
Returning for the first time since pre-Covid, the awards – proudly sponsored by Kerrygold, Irish Farmers Association, Bord Bia, Tourism Ireland and National Dairy Council – were opened by guest of honour, Simon Coveney T.D., Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and attended by some 300 guests including business owners, Irish and international chefs, buyers, food and drink writers, media and industry leaders. Anita Mendiratta, Special Advisor to the Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, delivered the afternoon’s Key Note speech.
Margaret Jeffares, Founder and Managing Director of Good Food Ireland says:"There has been great excitement around the return of the Good Food Ireland Awards this year. Each of those wonderful businesses who made the shortlist are a committed collection of passionate and driven people who genuinely capture the essence of Ireland's food and drink. All the judges would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to today’s winners who we feel really do go above and beyond to inspire travellers, international consumers and locals to seek out real authenticity and Irish provenance.”
Paul Heery, General Manager of The K Club, added: “It has been an absolute pleasure to host the business lunch for the Good Food Ireland® Awards and see our hotel bursting with some of our country’s greatest food champions. Such hard work and passion goes into the production and provision of food and drink across our shores, to see that care and commitment properly recognised and the support businesses give to one another is a very special thing.”
See the full list of winners below. For more details about the awards and general information about the awards visit goodfoodireland.ie
