Awards sometimes pass me by – especially with the sheer variety of them which are kicking around.

I read the Indo supplement today for the SFA awards and was impressed by the quality of the food businesses which were featured. These winners were announced at the beginning of March – I am behind on this one.

Emerging New Businesses – McEvoy Family Foods

This one is interesting because they do not have a brand of their own. Why do they feature here? Because contract manufacturers are an essential part of the infrastructure to support artisan and local food brands as they allow manufacturing to be outsourced when scale and demonstrable compliance with established standards are important. This business does soups, salads and garlic breads.

They do not have a website – this link does give more information. Jane McEvoy is in the above photo.

Food Sector – Belvelly Smokehouse

Frank Hederman runs the longest running smokehouse in Ireland and his business exports nearly 50% of what they produce. The foods they smoke are everything from butter and salt through eels, haddock and mussels with porridge oats in there too!

Nice website here.

Food Sector – Clonakilty Pudding

I know this product is well respected by those who have eaten it and they are comfortable with interesting marketing initiatives like their “Clonakilty by Candlelight” series of evenings in Dublin recently.

Colette Twomey, their MD, won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year so she is no stranger to awards. See more on the their website.

Food Sector – Dee’s Wholefoods

In contrast to the last brand this one can actually be eaten by me :-). Deirdre Collins started this business in 2008 (and McEvoys only began in 2009 so 2 new companies in this award winning list) and she produces a range of burgers for vegetarians.

I am currently awaiting a delivery of some new products from her – she asked on Facebook for a group to help her with testing new products :-). Her website is here.

Food Sector – Glenilen Farm

Have mentioned Alan and Valarie here before (and must also say that they are a client of mine right now). This dairy business moved from farmers markets in 2002 to producing for mainstream distribution and are now exporting to the UK.

More on their nicely designed website.

Food Sector – Cashel Blue

1984 was the year in which this company was registered and now they are recognised as one of the classic Irish farmhouse cheeses. Another husband and wife business – this time Jane and Louis Grubb.

Their website is here – overdue a helping of tender loving care.

Congrats to all those businesses – awards are not the point of any of those enterprises but the recognition is nice to get and the PR always helps.

Keith