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March 2011, Dublin: Ireland’s Blue Book is delighted to announce that Coopershill House Venison has won a 2011 Food Writers Guild Award. Presented on March 7th, the awards highlight the vital work of small, independent Irish food producers.

Now in its 17th year, the Irish Food Writers Guild (IFWG) Food Awards promote and reward the highest quality produce and have been described as the most important food awards in Ireland. The awards focus on recognising and rewarding indigenous, independent producers that are the lifeblood of the food industry in Ireland.

The O’Hara family have been rearing fallow deer on the 500 acre estate of Coopershill House, situated in the beautiful unspoilt countryside of Co. Sligo, since 1995. The deer lead a natural, free range life, grazing on hilly land which features soil that is either marley (clay) or a little boggy. The land has been in grassland for fifty years, encouraging a variety of natural herbage which contributes to the unparalleled quality, complex flavour and tenderness of Coopershill House Irish Venison.

Coopershill were awarded for the complex flavour and tenderness of their range of venison products.

IFWG Chairperson, Orla Broderick said, “Now more than ever, we need to be supporting our local producers, many of whom are suffering as a result of rising costs; cheap, low quality imports and the obvious fact that our economy has contracted significantly.   All of today’s winners work so hard to achieve the highest standards and produce the most wonderful of products.  If retailers fail to make room on the shelves for our indigenous producers and if we, as consumers, fail to support them, we will in a short space of time witness the demise of dozens of small and medium-sized producers, who will simply be squeezed out of business.  This will affect not only Ireland’s food producing capabilities but will also have a significant impact on jobs.”

In describing the selection process for the shortlist of award winners, Ms Broderick said: “We are not confined by the size of the company nor indeed product categories.  What’s important and unique about these awards is that no food producer can enter for an award. No company ever even knows that it is being considered for an award until the judging is complete and we make contact with the winners.  Our criteria is strict but straightforward - the products, traditional or innovative, must be produced in Ireland and the main ingredients must be home produced.”

Ms Broderick concluded by thanking Bord Bia for its continued support of the Awards and the work it does for the industry in Ireland and abroad.

The Irish Food Writers’ Guild Food Awards were presented by one of Ireland’s best known chefs, Darina Allen.

Other winners on the day:

Janet Drew for Janet’s Country Fayre Beetroot Blush (Wicklow);Pat O’Neill for O’Neill Foods’ Dry Cured Rashers, Bacon and Ham (Wexford), with a special Environmental Award going to John Flahavan of Flahavan’s (Waterford). Artisan baking innovator, Derek O’Brien, was honoured with the Guild’s seldom-awarded Lifetime Achievement Award.