50 Ways to Celebrate National Organic Week, 14th – 20th September
Organic sales in Ireland reach €124 million
Mr. Trevor Sargent TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, today presented the Overall National Organic Award 2009 to Kelly’s Organics, Mullingar for its new Moon Shine Milk product, a bottled non-homogenised farmhouse milk. The judges were unanimously bowled over by the taste and quality of the milk, citing it as "how milk used to taste". Moon Shine Milk, currently available in farm shops and farmers markets in Co. Westmeath and the Organic Supermarket in Blackrock, Co. Dublin, also won the Best Local Organic Product award.
Now in their third year the National Organic Awards are recognised as an important feature in the organic food and drink industry calendar, which aim to recognise the achievements, and raise the profile, of Irish organic food and drink manufacturers. Organised by Bord Bia in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the 2009 Awards attracted over 140 entries from organic companies nationwide.
Speaking at today’s event Minister of State Trevor Sargent said "Sales of Organic food are continuing to grow, increasing year on year by 13.2 percent, reaching a value of €124 million in the year to July 2009. From these encouraging retail figures, it is clear that even in these hard times a considerable number of Irish consumers are buying organic products. But the word organic on the label is no longer enough to guarantee a market — people are also looking for top quality. There was no shortage of quality in the entries received again this year."
National Organic Awards 2009 – winners & highly commended
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, Stradbally, Co. Laois
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.
Click here for a full list of National Organic Week events