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Press Release – Food & Drink Business Awards Winners Announced

Winners of the 2019 Irish Food & Drink Business Awards

 

The winners of the 2019 Irish Food & Drink Business Awards were announced at special presentation ceremony and gala dinner held on Thursday night, September 5th, at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin.

 

Established to recognise innovation and excellence across the entire food and drink industry on the island of Ireland, the Awards programme is the first of its kind in celebrating and promoting the best of the Irish food and drink manufacturing industry and the people behind the products.

 

The Irish Food & Drink Business Awards were first introduced last year by Premier Publishing & Events, the Dublin-based international conference and exhibition organiser and the publisher of Food & Drink Business Europe magazine and the www.fdbusiness.com industry news portal.

 

The 2019 Awards covered 18 categories across the full spectrum of the Irish food and drink industry including major sectors such as ingredients, fresh produce, dairy, meat/poultry, seafood, beverages, bakery, confectionery, spirits, food service and retailer own label.

 

Food & Drink Company of the Year

An overall winner – the Gran Prix Company of the Year – was selected from the winners of each of the 18 Awards categories. This accolade was claimed by Freshways Ireland, which won the Food Service Company of the Year category and was then named as the Food & Drink Company of the Year. Freshways Ireland also took Silver in the Food & Drink Innovation of the Year category.

 

Other award winners included – Java Republic (Beverage Company of the Year); Kerrygold Butter Packaging (Dairy Manufacturing Company of the Year); Manor Farm (Meat/Poultry Company of the Year); Bretzel Trading Company (Bakery/Confectionery Company of the Year); and Great Northern Distillery (Spirits Company of the Year).

 

Ginos Gelato won the SME Food & Drink Company of the Year Award and Ice Cream Treats was named Health & Wellness Product of the Year. Dunnes Stores retained its title as Own Label Brand of the Year having won this category in 2018.

 

All of the 2019 Food & Drink Business Awards winners are listed below.

 

Lifetime Achievement Award

A special Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Vincent Carton, head of Manor Farm, the largest chicken processor and market leader in the Republic of Ireland. The business can trace its roots back to 1775 when it commenced trading in the Dublin markets area before moving in 1970 to a custom-built factory at Shercock in County Cavan.

 

Vincent with his brother Justin are the eighth generation of the Carton family to run the business, which was acquired by Sweden-based Scandi Standard, the leading chicken producer in the Nordic region, in €70 million cash and shares deal in 2017.

 

2019 National Food & Drink Business Conference and Exhibition

 

The Awards presentation marked a fitting conclusion to the 2019 National Food & Drink Business Conference and Exhibition, Ireland’s premier trade event for the food and drink processing and retailing sectors, which was held in the Convention Centre of the CityWest Hotel earlier the same day. This annual Conference and Exhibition attracted over 2,000 visitors from all over the country

 

2019 Food & Drink Business Awards Winners

 

Bakery/Confectionery Company of the Yearsponsored by Weber Packaging Solutions

Bretzel Trading Company – Gold

Lily O’Brien’s – Silver

Thunders Bakery – Bronze

 

Beverage Company of the Year

Java Republic – Gold

Kinnegar Brewing – Silver

RTM Beverage – Bronze

 

Craft Beer/Cider Company of the Yearsponsored by MW Control Solutions

Rye River Brewing Company – Gold

Kinnegar Brewing – Silver

PorterHouse Brewing Company – Bronze

 

Dairy Manufacturing Company of the Yearsponsored by TQS Integration

Kerrygold Butter Packaging – Gold

Glenisk– Silver

North Cork Creameries – Bronze

 

Food & Drink Innovation of the Year

Nobó – Gold

Freshways – Silver

RTM Beverage – Bronze

 

Food Service Company of the Yearsponsored by Laydex Sherwin

Freshways – Gold

Freshly Chopped– Silver

Blanco Nino – Bronze

 

Free From/Vegan Product of the Year

Applegreen – Gold

KBH Nutrition – Silver

Birds Eye Pizza – Bronze

 

Fresh Produce Company of the Year

Kilbride Classic Cuisine – Gold

The Delicious Food Company – Silver

Hapi Food Co – Bronze

 

Health & Wellness Product of the Year

Ice Cream Treats – Gold

Freshly Chopped – Silver

The Irish Biltong Company – Bronze

 

Ingredient Supplier of the Year

NCC – Gold

Oriel Sea Salt – Silver

Rebel Chilli – Bronze

 

Meat/Poultry Company of the Yearsponsored by GS1 Ireland

Manor Farm – Gold

Dawn Meats – Silver

Hilton Foods – Bronze

 

Own Label Brand of the Year

Dunnes Stores – Gold

Aldi Ireland – Silver

TS Foods – Bronze

 

Packaging Company of the Year

Down2Earth – Gold

NevPack – Silver

 

Seafood Company of the Yearsponsored by O’Toole Transport

Irish Fish Canners – Gold

Keohanes – Silver

Nick Fish – Bronze

 

SME Food & Drink Company of the Yearsponsored by First Choice ePos

Ginos Gelato – Gold

Ice Cream Treats – Silver

Blanco Nino – Bronze

 

Spirits Company of the Year – sponsored by Spectac International

Great Northern Distillery – Gold

Ballyvolane House Spirits Company – Silver

The Dingle Whiskey Distillery – Bronze

 

Supply Chain Company of the Year

Foods Connected – Gold

Versatile Packaging – Silver

 

Sustainable Factory of the Yearsponsored by REPAK

ABP Ireland – Gold

Java Republic – Silver

Manor Farm – Bronze

 

Gran Prix – Food & Drink Company of the Year

Freshways Ireland

 

Lifetime Achievement Award

Vincent Carton, Manor Farm