Search
06 Sept 2025
Search
06 Sept 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
Michael and Tara Onalimi
A Laois food company has won the award of Micro Business of the Year 2022.
Michael Onalimi from Mountmellick set up ‘The Jungle Food Company’ in his adopted town in 2015 to create Flavour Safari Sauces that can be served hot as a sauce for pasta or cold as a salsa dip.
’The Jungle Food company’ is run from the kitchens in Mountmellick Development Association, Irishtown, where Michael fuses the freshest Irish Ingredients and the finest of African Spices. The products include spicy tomato sauce, mild tomato and herb sauce, spicy olive and tomato sauce and pesto sauce.
The Micro Business Awards night was held on October 16 at the Osprey in Naas. Full list of winners below.
Michael delightedly announced his award on social media.
"WE WON!! Absolutely buzzing to have won Business of the year 2022 last night at the Irish Micro Business Awards
Huge thanks to all the Micro Business Awards Team and their esteemed Judges for their recognition for what we do...
Congratulations also to all last night's finalists and winners in all the various categories... Great to see so many businesses doing so well. What an exciting moment on our #FlavourJourney".
The sauces are made using fresh vegetables sourced from local suppliers and are cooked in small batches to ensure premium artisan quality and taste.
He supplies to SuperValu Ireland as well as at local Farmer’s Markets.
Michael's bubbly vibrant personality draws people from far and wide and he has even featured on BBC Good Food Show in Belfast, Birmingham and London.
While staying local he also keep his eyes on the global market by using Google my business-GMB and he says he has noticed a great increase in his on-line business.
The Irish Micro Business Awards honour & recognise Ireland's micro entities as well as champions and advocates that support them. ALL the finalists from the Micro Business Awards automatically go into the newly formed 'Micro Business Awards England and Ireland' Awards.
The full list of winners are:
Reinvention with Attitude: Hidden Howth Experiences
Making Business Better Star:Tara Prendergast-Biscuit
Planet Champion/Green Champion: Marble and Tile.ie
Artists, Artisans & Makers: Downland Crafts
Food & Drink Heroes: The hard boiled egg cafe
Young Entrepreneur: Wipe Your Paws Dog Grooming
Event Expert: Saraden Designs
Online Trader: Owl & Trowel Ltd.
Start-Up Star: Bookworld
Giving back - Business With Purpose: Jackie Fox/Cocos law
Digital Genius: Clever Little Handies
Website Innovator: Zip-Lines Ireland
That’s Entertainment: Next Level Gaming
People's Choice: Phytaphix
Micro Business of the year: Michael Onalami Flavour Safari /Jungle Foodz
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
