Good Food Award open to all food businesses

By Ellen O’Brien

We’re fortunate in Cork to have a host of food heroes in Cork and a rake of Michelin-starred restaurants all over the county.

This year, for the first time in 18 years The Good Food Award Food Lovers Choice will be open to any food business across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (including those outside of Good Food Ireland).

Local suppliers, manufacturers, shops, food trucks, distilleries, pubs, restaurants, and hotels are all eligible for the award. Previous winners of Good Food Awards in different categories from Cork include The Lifeboat Inn (the Food Lovers Choice for the Wild Atlantic Way region) and Ballymaloe Cookery school (Excellence in Food Tourism).

Good Food Ireland stated that the Food Lover’s Choice award is an opportunity for “the nation’s lesser-known, independent food businesses to get the recognition they deserve with a brand new opportunity from the Good Food Ireland Awards 2024”.

Margaret Jeffares, Founder and Managing Director of Good Food Ireland said: “We’re very excited to open up this year’s Food Lovers Choice Award to all of our nation’s beloved local businesses, celebrating the people who genuinely capture the essence of Ireland's food and drink, setting it in a cultural context to inspire travellers, international consumers and locals to seek out real, authentic Irish food and drink experiences.”

The Good Food Ireland Awards 2024 were officially launched by Heather Humphreys, TD Minister for Rural and Community Development and will take place on Monday 11 November at The K Club, Co. Kildare. Minister Heather Humphreys said: “As Minister for Rural and Community Development, I am delighted to have been in a position to invest in a number of rural and regeneration projects that will do so much in terms of supporting Ireland’s food industry.”

The general public can now nominate their local food heroes, businesses can also enter the awards directly. The public and businesses are asked to consider the following factors when making the nominations, sharing Good Food Ireland’s philosophy of a commitment to prioritising Irish ingredients, sustainably supporting Ireland's farmers, food producers and fishermen. A shortlist will then be decided by the award’s judging panel and an overall winner will be crowned from each corner of the nation, Cork is in the Wild Atlantic Way category.

Visit goodfoodIreland.ie to make an entry, receive updates about individual awards and tickets to the event.