Avondale Foods Product is a Winner at the Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards 2016
Cook at Home Potato Gratin from Dunnes, produced by Lurgan based Avondale Foods, scooped the award in the Side Dish category of the Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards 2016.
The Awards, hosted by Ballymaloe Celebrity Chef and cookery author Rachel Allen were held at the Round Room at the Mansion House, in Dublin on the 8th September.
Colin Ferguson, Head of Sales Ireland at Avondale Foods said: “We are extremely proud of our team at Avondale Foods and the care that goes into the initial development of the product and then production of our Potato Gratin for Dunnes. We were absolutely thrilled to win our category and winning this award goes to show that the judges liked the product too!”
Dunnes Cook at Home Potato Gratin offers the consumer layers of sliced Rooster potatoes, with a rich creamy sauce, topped with grated regato cheese. It is available in Dunnes Stores across Ireland as part of the comprehensive Dunnes Stores Cook at Home Range.”
James Wilson, Food Director at Dunnes Stores said: “We are so happy and proud to work with Avondale Foods and other great suppliers across all our own label ranges to produce such good quality products. We are particularly proud to win the category award for our Cook at Home Range in this its first year of production.”
Avondale Foods also received Highly Commended for their Dunnes Stores Simply Better Potato, Mint Yogurt Salad and Commended for its own brand Country Kitchen Sweet Chilli Noodle Salad in the Salad – Prepared Category.
Organised by Metropolis Business Media, group publisher Helen Lyons commented, “The Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards have become a major part of the Irish food calendar. Once again we received a huge number of entries, and spent three weeks testing and judging the most delicious products. We had another wonderful night celebrating the success of our winners – huge congratulations to everyone.”
As former winners can testify, picking up an Irish Quality Food and Drink Award is a powerful marketing tool, with many winners using the awards’ logos on their packaging and in national press, television and outdoor advertising.
Mairead Finnegan runs and owns Roll It Pastry, whose Sweet Shortcrust Pastry won the Frozen Food – Sweet category last year. “Winning in my category two years in a row has not only allowed me to grow in confidence but sales increased quite significantly in 2015 and in particularly in the last quarter following the awards being announced,” commented Mairead.
“The publicity surrounding the awards resulted in my products going into trial with a major Irish retailer and that along with a growth in sales in existing retailers meant that my turnover in Q4 2015 was almost equal to my entire turnover in 2014.”
The awards themselves are organised into two distinct sections: Irish Quality Food Awards – products for the multiple and independent grocery retail market and the Irish Quality Drink Awards – alcoholic drinks for the retail sector.
The Irish Quality Food & Drink Awards are partnered with Retail News magazine Easy Food magazine. The IQFA are also sponsored by the Coeliac Society of Ireland, Dairymaid, Invest Northern Ireland and Sacla’.
Make sure you stay up to date with the latest news and competitions via the IQFA Facebook page at www.facebook.com/IrishQualityFoodAwards and on Twitter @IrishQFAs.
