YoF&D awards event issues call for entries from industry
A brand new awards event celebrating the many successes of the Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink has been launched by Tourism NI who are calling for entries from the brightest and best of our food, drink, hospitality and tourism industries.
The Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink Awards will celebrate both food producers and experiences and is also supported by Food NI in association with the Belfast Telegraph.
Winners will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony and dinner at the Culloden Hotel outside Belfast on February 2.
Entries, which need to be lodged by the morning of Friday, 6 January 2017, will be judged by a panel of distinguished experts including food critic Charles Campion, food author Georgina Campbell, Belfast Telegraph restaurant critic Joris Minne and Professor Una McMahon-Beattie, head of the department of hospitality and tourism management at Ulster University.
Organisations and producers who are not just making food but who are creating unforgettable food experiences for tourists and for the people who live here are encouraged to get involved.
Applications can be made online through the Belfast Telegraph website by clicking here.
The eight categories include: Best Food Event or Festival; Best Local Market; Best Tours and Trails; Best Marketing Achievement; Best Food Innovation; Best Food Story; Roots to Market; and Growing for the Future. Applicants can apply for one or more categories, further details of which are listed below.
Tourism NI’s Director of Corporate Development, Susie Brown said the awards would celebrate the best of the local food and drink industry, recognising excellence and talented collaborations dedicated to placing Northern Ireland firmly on the culinary map.
“The Year of Food and Drink has been welcomed, embraced and widely implemented right across the tourism and hospitality industry and food and drink sectors here at home as well as overseas,” she said.
“As the year draws to a close we are focused on creating a lasting legacy for the initiative and the Year of Food and Drink Awards will help us to do that.
“The quality and variety of local produce in Northern Ireland has helped enhance the food and drink experiences for visitors, with figures showing that overnight visitors to Northern Ireland from all markets spent an estimated £751m last year, of which approximately one third was spent on food and drink.
“We will continue to strive to further develop Northern Ireland’s reputation in food and drink both at home and with our visitors, with our tourism industry growing as a consequence.”
Jackie Reid of the Belfast Telegraph said: “The Belfast Telegraph is delighted to introduce the Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink Awards.
“The food and drink sector is a vibrant part of our local economy and is becoming an ever-greater draw for visitors. We are delighted to have assembled a distinguished panel of judges who will be casting their eye over the many entries to these awards.”
Categories
- Best Food Event or Festival – Entries are invited from private, public or voluntary events, festivals and food experiences bookable from January to December 2016
- Best NI Local Market – Open to local markets which have been running from January to December 2016
- Best NI Tours and Trails – Open to tours and trails which have been running from January to December 2016
- Best Food Story – Open to those who have a story to tell which links food to destination, place to plate, culture and arts or PGI status between January to December 2016
- Best Food Innovation – Open to those who can demonstrate evidence of how a new initiative, product, service or experience has put a spotlight on a place or destination. The initiative should have been launched between January and December 2016
- Roots to Market – Open to those who have demonstrated working together collaboratively with others to grow and strengthen their destination
- Growing for the Future – Recognition of a local developmental initiative focusing on the future skills required to drive food destination development. Open to colleges, universities, private training bodies or other developmental project owners. Projects should have been delivered between January and December 2016
- Best Marketing Achievement – Open to those who can demonstrate positive outputs from working collaboratively to market food products, services, experiences and destinations which evidence value for money, creativity and reach to specific target markets. Campaigns should have been delivered between January and December 2016
