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Welcome to the Wexford Food Family Newsletter

 

Wexford Food Bulletin

Wexford Food Family Trade Directory

A new and updated producers directory has been completed and looks fantastic. Copies are now available for all our producers, suppliers and Official Supporters. If you would like a copy/copies, then please let us know. A large number of directories have already been distributed at the annual Blas na hEireann awards in Dingle.

Please contact Sara if you would like a printed copy sara@wexfordfoodfamily.com
The Wexford Food Family Official Supporters programme is a way for us to acknowledge the shops, cafés, restaurants and hotels who are actually supporting and serving Wexford produced food and drink products. 
2019 plaques have been presented to our Official Supporters. Retailers stocking a minimum of 10 of our members' products and food service outlets sourcing products from a minimum of 6 of our members are eligible to become an Official Supporter.
We are delighted to report that, to date, we have 36 Official Supporters of the Wexford Food Family. This is fantastic news and really encouraging to see so many local food service outlets and food retailers getting behind and supporting local produce.

The updated list of supporters is now on our website, please do let us know of any other restaurant, cafe, shops who should be acknowledged for their support of Wexford producers and we will contact them to get the process started.
How it works
We send the list of Wexford Food Family members to the applicant and ask them to identify which of them they are currently dealing with. We then check with the producers that they are supplying the applicant. 
Current supporters in the hospitality / food service sector (must stock a minimum of 6 members' products) are listed here and those in the retail sector (must stock a min. of 10 members'  products) are listed here - please note that these lists are in flux at the moment and are being updated as confirmations come in. 
You can now apply to be an Official supporter on our website.
If you want to nominate an establishment to become an official supporter, or become one yourself you can also email sara@wexfordfoodfamily.com. 
New Wexford Food Family Website
A new and updated Wexford Food Family website is now live. We are delighted to be able to announce that we now have a fabulous new website which showcases all our members and Official Supporters.
We hope that this will display all our producers giving potential customers valuable information on their products and company. 
It's also a great way to showcase our Official Supporters and acknowledge their great work in supporting local produce.

The website will also provide a valuable resource for our own members proving useful information, news and events.

www.wexfordfoodfamily.com

 
Help Us to Help Grow the Wexford and South East Food Industry
Information is really important to develop strategic ideas that will grow our food economy. As they say, what gets measured, gets done. 

Could you help us out please by filling in this 3 minute survey? It is totally anonymous and will help us to get a better picture of the food industry in our county and region. 

Please click on the link below to fill out our very short questionnaire:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GRBK6QG

Thank you so much for your help. 
Wexford Food Family AGM
Members of the Wexford Food Family at the AGM on Tuesday 26th November at the Brandon House Hotel.

Wexford Food Family Chairwoman, Andrea Molloy, took everybody through what has been an extremely successful and busy year with various events and activities.

CEO Paula Ronan then went though plans for 2020 and members can look forward to a busy and exiting year.

The meeting thanked the Local Enterprise Office for their support throughout the year and is looking forward to working with the team there over the coming years.
 
The Wexford Food Family has a strong membership of 43 producers and has 34 Official Supporters and aims to grow these in 2020.
 
Anyone interested in becoming a member should visit the group’s website – www.wexfordfoodfamily.com for an application form.
 
The committee was thanked for all their hard work throughout 2019.The new committee for the coming year comprises :
 
Andrea Molloy, Cleverman Beer – Chairwoman
Catherine George, Fancy Fungi – Vice Chair
Tom Sinnott, Wexford Home Preserves – Ex Officio
Anthony O’Toole, chef – Treasurer
Trudie Power, Trudie’s Kitchen
Liam Byrne, Macamore Buffalo
Mary Regan, Regan Organic Farm
John Walsh, Irish Country Meats

Thank you to all who came along. 
Irish Country Meats Finalists
Congratulations to Irish Country Meats who have been nominated for an award in the Facilities Management Awards 2020.
​Since launching in 2014, the Facilities Management Awards is the long-standing platform for recognising and rewarding companies and their teams who strive for excellence within the FM sector in Ireland.
 
Irish Country Meats are finalists in the Excellence in Sustainability category – we wish them all the best and congratulations on the nomination.
 
The winners will be revealed at the black-tie gala awards ceremony on Thursday, January 30th, at the The Ballsbridge Hotel, Dublin.
 
Blas na hEireann
 
Members of the Wexford Food Family have just returned from the annual Blas na hEireann, The Irish Food Awards. The awards, which took place in Dingle on Saturday 5th October, is the biggest competition for quality Irish produce on the island of Ireland.
Wexford Food Family members were extremely well represented at these prestigious awards and 12 of our members came home with 19 awards between them, award winning producers include:
O’Neills Dry Cure Bacon Co
Irish Country Meats
Wexford Home Preserves
Killowen Farm
Scup Gelato
Fancy Fungi Gourmet Mushrooms
Zanna Cookhouse
Kellys Bakery
Tasty Parlour
Wild About
Tara Hill Honey
Naturally Cordial
 
The Blas awards are the biggest blind tasting of produce in the country, and the criteria on which the product is judged as well as the judging system itself, which was developed by Blas na hEireann with the Food Science Dept of UCC, is now recognised as an international industry standard.
Research has shown that the Blas accreditation has the highest recognition amongst Irish consumers and using the award logo on packs encourages shoppers to buy these products. It is their guarantee of a top-quality Irish product.
The Wexford Food Family congratulates all of our Winners and finalists. We encourage all residents of and visitors to Wexford to seek out the produce of our fabulous producers in the best food shops, restaurants and hotels.
For more information on Blas na hEireann please see https://www.irishfoodawards.com/ 
 
Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards
The Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards recognises & celebrates the best in retail, wholesale and foodservice food and drink products available in Ireland.
This year the awards were held in the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin on 24 October 2019 where the whole industry met to network and reward the best in the industry.
The 2019 shortlist included members O’Neills Dry Cure Bacon, Killowen Farm, Zanna Cookhouse and Wexford Home Preserves
Again our producers had a very successful evening with Killowen wining for Dunnes Stores Simply Better Triple Berry Glass Jar Yogurt. Wexford Home Preserves were recognised for their No Added Sugar Blackcurrant Jam, made with fellow Wexford Food Family Member Des Jeffares Wexford Blackcurrants, and also winning with Dunnes Stores Simply Better Orange and Honey Ham Glaze. Zanna Cookhouse took home awards for their Hot and Cold Smoked Trout Pate, Duck Rillette Pate and Feta & Roast Vegetable Quiche. 
O’Neills Dry Cure Bacon not only won an award for their bacon but also took home the Small Producer of the Year.
 
Fantastic results and congratulations.
EXPANSION FOR BALLYHACK SMOKEHOUSE

 


Exciting times ahead for new company, The Ring of Hook Smokehouse Ltd (formally Ballyhack Smokehouse ) as phase one of their expansion plans under European Maritime and Fisheries Fund from the Fisheries local action group ( FLAG) South East and facilitated by on Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) nears completion. Phase one includes a new processing and packing facility and a new labeling system which will allow them to supply bar-coded products to the retail sector. Phase one is due for completion the week of November 25th, just in time for the festive market.
The company will trade under The Ring Of Hook Smokehouse Ltd but will continue to sell their product as Ballyhack Smoked Salmon and our customers will be notified prior to any changes. This new expansion will allow the smokehouse to expand on their current product range. To begin with, customers can purchase the new 300g, 500g and 950g unit pack of our sliced smoked salmon. The Smokehouse will continue to supply their unsliced sides and pieces of salmon as well as their popular 100g packs of sliced smoked salmon.
Owner Michael Walsh says “ Our award winning product will satisfy the taste buds of smoked salmon lovers in every household and it can be enjoyed in a whole range of delicious snacks around the festive period” Also adding “Our new expanded range of unit packs means that we can now cater to a whole range of needs. From a person living alone right up to corporate companies who want to gift something extra special to business associates, customers or employees this Christmas season.”
The new products will be available to purchase in a number of local supermarkets and retail outlets which will be listed on their social media shortly.
For 2020, The Ring of Hook Smokehouse ltd will continue to grow and expand. Michael adds “We aim to expand our product range to include hot and cold smoked fish and other smoked products and 2020 is going to be an exciting year for the Smokehouse!” Although the Smokehouse will undergo expansion and refurbishment, Michael Walsh wants to assure customers that the quality product they know and love will remain the same; “We want to let customers know that we will continue to sell our product as Ballyhack Smoked Salmon, follow our artisan principles. Our smoking process will remain the same, our products will continue to be competitively priced and we will maintain our high quality product standards throughout.”

Celebrations for Trudies at Q Mark Awards 2019

 
There were smiles all around for Trudies Catering Kitchen at The Clayton Hotel on Dublin’s Burlington Road on Friday, September 27th, where the National Q Mark Awards ceremony took place. 
 
The gala event was a chance for all those nominated to celebrate the high standards they’d achieved in rigorous audits by EIQA, the proud guardians of the Q Mark suite of Quality standards. To make it onto the list, each enterprise had to earn a place in the top 6 per cent of the audits carried out across the island of Ireland.
 
Trudies team produce quality handmade salads, sandwiches and lunches to the catering and retail trade. Trudies Kitchen is a family run business with Trudie, her husband Michael and their son Richard, which generates employment for the local economy with 19 staff members. Trudies have expanded the business this summer through the generation of new customers and new product lines to existing customers. The company has been a nominee, finalist, highly commended and winner many times over the 19 years in which they’ve been part of the National Q Mark Awards process.
 
For the Trudies team, being nominated for The National Q Mark Awards tells customers the firm is at the forefront of excellence in industry and quality systems showing a continuous improvement year on year.  It signifies that they can “Trust in Trudies” – their products, suppliers, systems and people.
 
During their long relationship with EIQA and the National Q Mark Awards, Trudies have grown in the knowledge of their systems and quality, gaining great advice and training from EIQA. 
           
Operator Siobhan Power says customers can “Trust in Trudies -  a slogan that the business has earned over the last 19 years to develop a loyal customer base who recognize the quality standards of our products”.
 
The value of the Q Mark brand is also vital when it comes to attracting sponsors for the awards. This year Solus, Ishka Irish Spring Water, BlackBee, The Irish Independent and Kelsius all signed up to have their brand aligned with the event. 
 
The Awards night is also a great opportunity for the Q Mark Awards charity partner to make their pitch to the business community. This year John and Jayne Glynn attended the event on behalf of the Gavin Glynn Foundation. John spoke about his son Gavin’s journey through cancer and why he and his family were inspired to help others with children who have to travel abroad for cancer treatment. Fundraising in aid of the Foundation raised more than €8000 on the night with all prizes generously donated by Q Mark customers.
 
Wexford Food Heroes

The Wexford Food Heroes series continues across the People Papers. The People Papers has been continuing to feature Wexford Food Family members with excellent coverage detailing member stories, products and company profiles. 

Recent features include:
Trudies Catering Kitchen
Regan Organic Poultry
Fancy Fungi Gourmet Mushrooms
O'Neills Dry Cure Bacon

We encourage all of our members to give The People Newspapers serious consideration in the advertising plans - there is a special deal for members of the Wexford Food Family which they can avail of. Thank you to all involved. 

Wild About Success

Wild about is celebrating winning 2 of the 5 catagories for Most Innovative New Artisan Product at the recent 25th Listowel Food Festival in Kerry. They won for their new Gooseberry marmalade and new Sparkling Nettle Drink, which was also used for the Taste the Island launch at the Kennedy Center. They are particularly thrilled because as true Artisans, the path is always a bit harder and steeper, yet they compete at Food Festivals with bigger and mass producers.  So it was particularly embracing to win, let alone the best new preserve and the best new beverage at a pure artisan competition. 
Keep up the great work and congratulations!

Membership Benefits
 
A big welcome to our newest members Kellys Bakery 

There are many benefits to being a member of the Wexford Food Family, the non-profit organisation dedicated to growing the food industry of our county including: 
  • sharing information and learning from others in the food industry
  • participation in valuable activities, e.g. Wexford Food Summit, Gifted, RDS Market Study Trip,
  • promotion of brand and products to potential customers - retail and hospitality
  • Listing in the Wexford Food Family Trade Directory 
  • Help with professional photography 
  • inclusion in the Eat Wexford brochure
Additionally, every new and renewing member receives a €100 voucher from Think Print and exclusive benefits from Wright Insurances including a 5% or €100 rebate, 0% finance, €25 against private car insurance, product recall cover and more. 

We are proud to have 45 members in the Wexford Food Family and we thank each of you for your help in growing our Wexford food economy. 

If you would like to become a member of the Wexford Food Family please check out the application form here
 
Wright Insurance Brokers is proud to work in partnership with Wexford Food Family to give you an exclusive special offer package for Commercial Combined Insurance.
 
Wexford Food Family Members can benefit from:
  • 5% or €100 exclusive discount on your Commercial Combined Insurance premium
  • 0% finance option available for 1 year
  • 5% discount on Term Life Cover transacted with Aviva (subject to terms & conditions)
  • Product Recall Cover option available for Food & Drink Manufacturers
  • €25 voucher to use against your private Car, Home of Van Insurance policy through Wright Insurance Brokers on taking out Commercial Combined Insurance through us.
 
To register for a  free insurance review with a quotation in time for your next insurance renewal click the linkhttps://wrightcover.ie/wexford-food-family/
 
Tom Sinnott of Wexford Home Preserves took up the special offer for Wexford Food Family members recently from Wrights Insurance and he got a great deal from them on his Commercial Insurance . Tom said -  “We found Wrights great to deal with. They made everything very straight forward. A pleasure to deal with and most importantly very competitive” 
Trudie Power of Trudies Kitchen has taken advantage of the €100 voucher from Think Print and says  “Trudies Kitchen collaborated with Think Print for all our rebranding for business cards, letterheads, & point of sale material for our handmade salads. They worked from our brief and we are delighted with the results. 
Think Print is our provider for all printing going forward. “
 
Thank you for taking time to read our newsletter - if there is something you would like to be included in our next issue, please email some details and a photo if possible to paula@wexfordfoodfamily.com.
Want to find out more?
Copyright © 2018 Wexford Food Producers Network Ltd., All rights reserved.


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Wexford Food Family, Ballinvegga, Ballywilliam, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford

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Wexford Food Family · Ballinvegga · Ballywilliam · Enniscorthy, Wexford Y21 XR74 · Ireland

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