Top vegan award for healthy foods from Crawford’s Rock in Kilkeel
Sustainably harvested Dulse Sprinkles, a unique seaweed product developed by Michelle Wilson at Crawford’s Rock in Kilkeel, Co Down, has won the Vegan Choice Award, the most prestigious in the global vegan industry.
The awards are designed to help businesses get their vegan products, food or services into the hands of more people by providing them with a stamp of approval that they can use to build trust, credibility and increase interest.
By highlighting award-winning vegan products, services and eateries to consumers, it aims to ensure a more likely movement toward veganism.
The awards were made by a panel of vegan evaluators of business professionals, marketing experts, dieticians, designers, authors, chefs, influencers and entrepreneurs with a vast knowledge of the vegan industry.
Michelle, commenting on the latest award for its natural seaweed products, says: “It’s a marvellous endorsement for our products from such an important champion of vegan foods.”
Crawford’s Rock is the first Northern Ireland company to win an award from Vegan’s Choice. The small company has also won a number of UK Great Taste Awards for its seaweed products harvested from the Co Down coastline.
Michelle’s small batch food products include an extensive portfolio of seasonings, salts, oils and seaweed shots for smoothies and juicing. In addition, she produces a unique seaweed bath for luxury hotels in the area and a natural soap.
There’s also seaweed capsules which she refers to as ‘vitamin sea’ and a range of seaweed teas including peppermint, nori chai, lemon detox, and a goodnight tea. She’s certainly demonstrating the versatility of local and natural seaweed.
Michelle established Crawford’s Rock seaweed company in 2018 from the experience and heritage of her husband’s family which has foraged part of the Down coastline for the seaweed that’s commonly called laver or nori for generations. Nori is known in Down as ‘sloke’, a dark black seaweed that is wrapped round sushi rolls for a tasty dish in Japan.
Michelle says that the health benefits of eating seaweed are now “well-known and widely accepted”. “Seaweed is rich in iodine to support thyroid function, is a good source of vitamins and minerals and can help to delay hunger. It may reduce heart disease and cuts down on the risk of type 2 diabetes by improving blood sugar control.
“Seaweed is full of minerals and vitamins and is now regarded justifiably as a superfood the world over. Seaweed is now recognised as an incredibly high-energy and low-calorie food,” she adds.
