Bord Bia has announced the shortlist of organic food and drink producers for the National Organic Awards 2024 and a Laois company has made it.
These awards will be held in association with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to celebrate the achievements and high standards of the increasing number of organic growers, producers, and manufacturers in the country.
The winners of the National Organic Awards will be revealed at an awards ceremony that takes place on Thursday, October 17 in the Bord Bia Global Hub in Dublin.
The shortlisted companies were judged across seven categories including a new award for 2024, The Organic Sector Champion which will be announced alongside the other winners at the ceremony in October.
Among those shortlisted for the awards were The Merry Mill, from Stradbally in Laois.
They have been nominated in the ‘Best Irish Organic Product Award’ category.
The Merry Mill is an organic farm and mill. The business is run by the Scully Family, who take pride in producing a range of premium organic gluten-free foods, including Irish organic gluten free oats, organic gluten free flour, and organic produce.
To support their ethos of high quality organic and sustainable products, they have built Ireland’s first organic gluten-free oat mill.
They are shortlisted for the Direct to Consumer Excellence Award and Best Irish Organic Product Award for their regular and gluten free porridge oats.
Judges reviewed the shortlisted companies at the National Organic Food Fair which took place in Merrion Square in Dublin on Saturday.
Judges included chef Clodagh McKenna, food writer Suzanne Campbell, chef Janine Kennedy, food consultant Annie Dunne, and retail expert John McDonagh.
Commenting on the selection of short-listed producers, Emmet Doyle, Organic Sector Manager in Bord Bia, said: “The National Organic Awards is an opportunity to shine a light on the quality of Ireland’s thriving organic sector and highlight some of the producers who continue to drive the sector from strength to strength.
“From speaking to our esteemed judges, the calibre of entries was excellent this year, which is reflected in the companies shortlisted.
“We would like to extend our congratulations to them, and thank all who entered this year.”
Winners of the National Organic Awards 2024 will get a one-to-one session with Bord Bia’s Client Capability team, who will help develop a bespoke package of supports to meet individual company needs up to the value of €5,000.
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