Celebrating 10 years and honouring Ireland’s food heroes

2016 saw the 10th Anniversary Celebration of Good Food Ireland. It was a milestone year, kicking off in March with the international launch of Good Food Ireland Tours and Experiences and ending with the launch of touRRoir a new global forum for Food Tourism and Culture that incorporated an International Hall of Fame and the Good Food Ireland Best of the Decade Awards.

What started as a vision to bring together the varying elements of Ireland's two largest indigenous industries, agri-food and tourism hospitality, to create food as an economic driver for tourism has grown to include a food travel service for customers. Using its unparalleled access to industry, knowledge and expertise Good Food Ireland launched the new service to media and international tour operators and created collaborative partnerships globally. 

“touRRoir” a unique forum with its inaugural Hall of Fame started a conversion around the inextricable links between Food Tourism and Culture and how by harnessing the shared values of these three sectors, companies and nations can build brands and associated soft power attractiveness. touRRoir will position the island of Ireland amongst key influencers and contribute significantly to the power and purpose of brand Ireland, delivering high level education to the local Food Tourism Culture supply chain and generate significant revenues with both seasonal and all island impact. 

Guest of Honour Charlie Flanagan T.D., Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade inducted honourees Rene Redzepi, NOMA, Denmark, The Catalan Tourism Agency, Spain and Lee Wook Jung, Film Producer, South Korea who were selected by a global judging panel to the inaugural touRRoir Hall of Fame. 

The Good Food Ireland Best of the Decade Awards honoured Irelands' ultimate food heroes, who have collaborated, volunteered and pushed the boundaries shaping a new future, joining a pioneering food movement Good Food Ireland, that became a significant instigator and pathway in the development of Ireland’s food tourism scene.

Best of the Decade Awards 

WINNER - FOOD CHAMPION - Birgitta Hedin- Curtin, Burren Smokehouse

INTERNATIONAL AMBASSADORS OF THE DECADE 

Group Honourees:

Sean Kelly, Kelly’s of Newport

Darina Allen and Rory O’Connell, Ballymaloe Cookery School

Eamonn and Mary Gleeson, Gleeson’s Restaurant and Rooms

Peter Ward, Country Choice

Robert Ditty, Ditty’s Bakery

Kay Harte, Farmgate Café

Nora Egan, Inch House & Restaurant

Anthony Creswell, Ummera Smokehouse

Declan Ryan, Ryan’s Arbutus Breads

Ed Cooney, The Merrion Hotel

Martin Shanahan, Fishy Fishy Café

Jack McCarthy, McCarthy’s of Kanturk

Birgetta HedinCurtin, Burren Smokehouse

Maurice Keller, Waterford

Tony O’Connell, O’Connell’s in Donnybrook

WINNER - RISING STAR - Highbank Organic Orchards

WINNER - SAVVY SOCIAL - Lemon Tree Restaurant

GOOD FOOD IRELAND HALL OF FAME 

Honouree: Mrs Veronica Steele, Milleen’s Cheese

The judges said “Veronica is an iconic cheesemaker who created Ireland’s first farmhouse cheese, and has also spent years educating many young cheesemakers in the art, as well as travelling abroad to help  women in impoverished areas learn how to make cheese so they can  make a living and support their families. Veronica is a world class educator, a woman with a huge sense of humour and enormous sense of responsibility to her profession. She has enriched the lives of the many people who have crossed her path, always ready with advice or helpful tips for anyone in the food industry, cheese maker or not. A worthy Good Food Ireland Hall of Fame honouree, Veronica has made over forty years of contribution to Irish food production and to raising the profile of Irish farmhouse cheeses at home and abroad