Voting for 2 Cork legends

The Irish Quality Food Awards have been a fixture in the food calendar for many years. Although they originated in the UK, they have become an important showcase for Irish producers and a brilliant way of discovering food and drink you might otherwise pass by on the shelf.

I’ve been lucky enough to judge the awards on several occasions and it’s always a reminder of just how much talent and passion exists across the country. This year, the awards introduced a new category celebrating women in food and drink and when the voting link landed in my inbox I didn’t need long to decide who I wanted to nominate. I’m fortunate to have met and worked with some truly inspiring women over the years, and two of them stood out immediately.

For the drink category, my vote went to Judy Wilkins of Rising Sons Brewery in Cork. Judy has been director and general manager since the brewery opened and has also overseen the launch of The Pav. Her knowledge of craft beer is second to none, honestly, I’d happily read a book written by her (I keep throwing hints at her). Over the years, we’ve worked together on events that paired Rising Sons’ excellent beers with the best of Cork’s food produce during our Match.Cork sessions. Beer with cheese, meats and more and always with an open mind and a ‘let’s try it’ attitude from Judy. That can-do approach is one of the things I admire most about her. We first met at the opening of the brewery pub and have become friends since. Her work ethic, expertise and deep understanding of both brewing and business are genuinely impressive.

For the food category, I chose Avril Allshire-Howe of Rosscarbery Black Pudding. I first met Avril many years ago on a street in Dingle during the Blas na hÉireann awards weekend. We’d followed each other online, but this was our first face-to-face meeting and we ended up chatting for hours about food standards, black pudding and our shared love of cookbooks (we both have a rather large collection).

Avril is a fierce advocate for farmers, tradition and family businesses. Along with her husband, she has always stayed true to their motto: “Made by a family, not a factory”.

The long list of awards Rosscarbery Black Pudding has won over the years is a testament to that commitment. I’ve received phone calls from Avril while she was out on the road delivering produce across Dublin, Kerry and beyond. She’d be up at 5am making sure shops were fully stocked, no shortcuts, just hard work and pride in what she does.

Now that the second generation has taken over, I’m hoping Avril gets to enjoy the occasional lie-in. She’s certainly not slowing down, though. Avril has opened her farm to visitors, offering guided forest bathing experiences; a Japanese practice focused on slowing down and reconnecting with nature.

She’s also a co-founder of the West Cork Farm Walks, another way of bringing people closer to food, land and place. There are countless women across Ireland’s food and drink industries who deserve recognition, but these two exceptional women happen to also be my friends. Their passion, integrity and generosity of spirit perfectly capture what makes Irish food and drink so special.