Monday night of last week saw the presentation of the 2019 Hero Buyer Awards.
The awards are an initiative by the Taste Kilkenny Food Producers group acknowledging the shops, cafés, restaurants, hotels and gastro pubs that have purchased and pioneered the group’s produce in 2019.
Fiona Deegan, Head of Enterprise Kilkenny LEO presenting the inaugural Taste Kilkenny Hero Buyers National Award to Christine Fowler, Ardkeen Quality Food Store. Photograph: Christopher Dunne
Traditionally the awards have focused on Kilkenny outlets and eateries but for the first time a National Award category was added, with Ardkeen Quality Food Store receiving the inaugural award on Monday night. Voting for these awards was conducted solely by Taste Kilkenny Food Producers under secret ballot from which the clear winner emerged.
Ardkeen was acknowledged for their ongoing support to artisan producers and for a new initiative which sees Taste Kilkenny Hampers now available from their ecommerce site ardkeen.com
“We are really grateful to those establishments that support Kilkenny producers by having our products on their menus or on their shelves and to the customers who chose to purchase them! We are hoping to grow and strengthen this all of the time. Cafes, shops are restaurants are our link to the consumer, without their business, we would not be in business, it’s as simple as that!” Julie Calder-Potts of Highbank Orchards noted at the opening of the event.
Other winners on the night included Glasraí & Goodies, Gowran; Arán Bakery, Kilkenny and Eurospar, Kilkenny
The plaques presented reflected the ethos of supporting artisans and are beautifully hand crafted in Kilkenny by Mark Campden of The Bridge Pottery
The competition is now on to see who will be crowned for 2020.
