Local producers in line for prestigious Bord Bia awards

Two local food producers have made the elite shortlist of organic food and drink producers for the Bord Bia National Organic Awards 2024.

The Awards are held every two years in association with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Bord Bia say they are celebration of the best of Irish organic food as a wide selection of produce from all over the country is represented in the awards.

So it is a significant achievement for The Merry Mill in the Vicarstown area and Garryhinch Wood Exotic Mushrooms just outside Portarlington to make the shortlist. Competition was stiff with over almost 100 entries submitted for consideration into the prestigious awards.

The Merry Mill is an organic farm and mill run by the Scully Family. Steered by Kevin Scully, the family take pride in producing a range of premium organic gluten-free foods, including Irish organic gluten-free oats, organic gluten-free flour, and organic produce. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

To support their ethos of high-quality organic and sustainable products, they have built Ireland's first organic gluten-free oat mill. They are shortlisted for the Direct to Consumer Excellence Award and Best Irish Organic Product Award for their regular and gluten free porridge oats.

Garryhinch Wood Exotic Mushrooms is a family-run organic mushroom farm founded by Joe Gorman. Located on the banks of the river Barrow, the producer has gathered over 30 years’ experience, cultivating their exotic mushrooms on wooden blocks made only from trees sourced from sustainably managed forests.

They are shortlisted for the Best New & Innovative Irish Organic Product for their Shiitake and White Beech mushrooms. 

Judges reviewed the shortlisted companies at the National Organic Food Fair which took place in Merrion Square in Dublin on Saturday, August 31. The judges included chef Clodagh McKenna, food writer Suzanne Campbell, chef Janine Kennedy, food consultant Annie Dunne, and retail expert John McDonagh. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Emmet Doyle, Organic Sector Manager in Bord Bia, commented on the shortlist.

"The National Organic Awards is an opportunity to shine a light on the quality of Ireland’s thriving organic sector and highlight some of the producers who continue to drive the sector from strength to strength. From speaking to our esteemed judges, the calibre of entries was excellent this year, which is reflected in the companies shortlisted . We would like to extend our congratulations to them, and thank all who entered this year,” he said.

Winners of the National Organic Awards 2024 will get a one-to-one session with Bord Bia’s Client Capability team, who will help develop a bespoke package of supports to meet individual company needs up to the value of €5,000. MORE BELOW PICTURE OF JUDGES.

The winners of the National Organic Awards will be revealed at an awards ceremony that takes place on Thursday, October 17th in the Bord Bia Global Hub in Dublin. 

For more information on the individual categories, you can visit: https://www.bordbia.ie/industry/events/national-organic-awards-2024/