Designed to Celebrate Success
The Food and Drink Awards will showcase excellence across the Irish food, drink and horticulture industry. The 2019 awards are an important opportunity to acknowledge the major contribution the food, drink and horticulture industry makes to our island and they have been designed to reflect the current economic and trading environment, which is both uncertain and challenging.
Companies can enter across seven categories; Consumer Insight, Brand Marketing, Export Growth, Domestic Success, and Sustainability. This year two new categories, Future Leader and Diversity & Inclusion, will acknowledge companies and individuals who are championing dynamic and inclusive workforces.
The Awards are open to companies that produce and market products from the Republic of Ireland, who are verified members of Bord Bia's Origin Green Programme.
The category winners will be announced at the Bord Bia Food & Drink Awards ceremony on the afternoon of Wednesday, 27th November 2019 at the RDS Concert Hall, Dublin 4. Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed T.D. will present the awards, alongside Bord Bia’s CEO Tara McCarthy.
Providing an Opportunity for the Irish Food, Drink & Horticulture Industry to Showcase their Achievements
“We were thrilled to win the Consumer Insight award in 2017. It came at the end of a collaborative process with the insights team at Bord Bia, where we considered in great depth the needs of the consumer when designing the Platinum Collection. We are very happy with the success of this line and to win the award was the icing on the cake for the team involved in its creation”
- Aisling Walsh, Marketing Director, Butlers Chocolate
Judging Panel
Orlaith Blaney, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, Ervia
Orlaith Blaney is the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at Ervia and was appointed to Executive team in 2016. Prior to this, Orlaith was CEO of McCannBlue. She has worked on many Irish brands including Tayto, Hunky Dorys and Butlers Chocolates. Orlaith was also President of the Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland (IAPI), Honorary Secretary of the International Women’s Forum and is currently on the Failte Ireland Grow Dublin Tourism Alliance (GDTA).
Matt Dempsey, former Editor Irish Farmers Journal and Chairman of the National Newspapers of Ireland
Matt Dempsey was the editor of the Irish Farmers Journal for 25 years and was previously Chairman of the National Newspapers of Ireland and IdentiGEN. He is currently Chairman of the Irish National Stud, the Agricultural Trust and the Irish Field and is on the General Committee of the Farmers Club. He has been awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science from University College Dublin and was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate (DLitt) from Harper Adams University. Matt is a graduate in Agricultural Science from UCD.
John Fanning, Chairman of Bord Bia’s Brand Forum
John Fanning is Chairman of Bord Bia’s Brand Forum and lectures in Branding and Marketing Communications at the Smurfit Business School. He was previously Managing Director and Chairman of McConnell’s Advertising and is a regular commentator on marketing communications and branding in the national and trade press.
Frank Fenn, former Managing Director of DCC Food & Beverage Ltd
Frank has extensive experience in business in Ireland and International Markets. He was Managing Director of DCC Food & Beverage Ltd and a member of the senior management of FTSE 100 Company DCC plc. He was CEO of R&A Bailey & Co (Baileys Irish Cream), Global Marketing Director Baileys, Regional Director Baileys and Export Market Manager Baileys. Frank holds a Bachelor of Commerce from UCD and a diploma in Marketing from the Marketing Institute of Ireland.
Damien McLoughlin, Professor of Marketing at UCD Michael Smufit Graduate Business School
Damien is Professor of Marketing at UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School in Ireland. Damien has published more than seventy papers and two books on strategy and marketing issues. An experienced board member, Damien has served several public and private sector organisations as a director and consultant. Damien holds a Bachelor of Business Studies degree from Dublin City University, a Master of Business Studies degree from University College Dublin and PhD in Marketing from Lancaster University (UK).
Heather Ann McSharry, non-executive director on the Boards of Greencore plc., CRH plc., Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc. and a Council member of the Institute of Directors
Previously, Heather Ann was Managing Director Ireland of Reckitt Benckiser, a leading global branded healthcare and consumer products company. She has a B.Comm and MBS from University College Dublin.
Margot Slattery, Global Chief Diversity Officer, Sodexo
In her new role, Margot has responsibility for the strategic direction, implementation and alignment of Sodexo’s integrated global diversity and inclusion initiatives. Limerick-born Margot has won numerous awards for her role in supporting diversity and inclusion and women in business, including the Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite and has appeared on the Financial Times’ Top 100 list of OUTstanding LGBT Business Leaders since 2015. Her board memberships include Business in the Community Ireland, Out and Equal Workplace Advocates, the Dublin Chamber of Commerce among others.