The Kinsale Bay Food Company took the top Small Producer of the Year Award at the Free From Food Awards 2024.
The Awards took place on Friday 1st November in the Grand Hotel, Malahide, Co. Dublin with entries from producers across the 32 counties of Ireland. The freefrom industry assembled to find out who would scoop the Gold, Silvers or Bronze awards for products judged by panels that included coeliacs, parents of freefrom children, nutritionists, dietitians, chefs, foodies and bloggers. Winning an award in this sector, encourages the continued growth of the sector and demonstrates the quality of freefrom foods – which are reaching a level where mainstream consumers can struggle to tell the difference, a far cry from the dreadful gluten free bread in tins of the 1970s in Ireland. Over 40 categories were judged over three weeks in September and the Awards night is the culmination of this process.
Freefrom Food Awards Ireland has been established independently by John Burke, founder of GFLife, a lifelong coeliac. The FreeFrom Food Awards, were started in the UK in 2007, being the only industry awards for FreeFrom foods, by FoodsMatter and FreeFrom Foods Matter. Having been a judge at the UK FreeFrom Awards, John adapted the awards format for an Irish setting. This is the 9th year of the Awards and they continue to be a beacon for the best in freefrom in the industry in Ireland.