It’s an exciting weekend for a handful of Irish producers. On Sunday night, the Great Taste Awards, the largest food and drink awards on the planet, will reveal its supreme champion 2021.

An awards ceremony will take place in the Yorkshire Event Centre in Harrogate, where just 14 products will receive a Great Taste Golden Fork Trophy.

This is out of 14,000 products that were entered this year.

Coveted prize

All will be vying for the most coveted prize of all, the Great Taste supreme champion 2021.

This is an accolade that has had much Irish success, with previous winners including the Smokin’ Butcher in Co Meath (2017); Hannan Meats from Co Down (2016); James Whelan Butcher from Tipperary (2015); and McCarthy’s, also from Co Down (2011).

We wish the best of luck to the following Irish and Northern Irish food producers:

  • Carlingford Oyster Company in Carlingford for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Louet Feisser Select Carlingford Oysters.
  • Greenbean Coffee Roasters in Dundalk for its Great Taste 3-star award-wining Torero.
  • Oliver Carty & Family in Athlone for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning SuperValu Signature Taste Irish Hampshire Easycarve Ham Fillet.
  • Lisdergan Butchery in Omagh, Tyrone, for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Murley Mountain Rack of Lamb.
  • Morelli Ice Cream in Coleraine, Derry, for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Caramelised Hazelnut Ice Cream.
  • Rooney Fish in Newry, Down, for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Millbay Oysters.
  • Wine Wednesdays at ELY

    It’s been a long pandemic of Zoom wine tastings, but as restrictions (hopefully) lift next week, ELY is back doing what it does best - wine tastings in person.

    Ely Wine Bar.

    This autumn, ELY is hosting Wine Wednesdays at ELY Winebar in Ely Place, just off Stephen’s Green - a series of fun, informal and entertaining wine tastings.

    Each evening will focus on a different theme, region, grape variety or style of wine, and will be paired with cheese and charcuterie.

    Starting on 27 October, it costs €36pp and table bookings can be made through Open Table for groups of two to eight people.

    The sessions will be co-hosted by the fantastic Ian Brosnan, who brings so much life and personality to each wine he serves.

    Many of the wines ELY imports are directly from small family-run wineries in Europe, such as Adega Algueira in Ribera Sacra, Bodega Marañones in Madrid, Alta Alella’s Cava and Bodegas Tobia’s Riojas.

    So it’s a great opportunity to try something new.

    Read more

    Food News: virtual wine tastings and cookery classes

    Irish success at Great Taste Awards 2021