Top food award for Northern Ireland's Broughgammon Farm

Broughgammon Farm from Northern Ireland was among five Irish winners of the 2017 Euro-Toques Food Awards at a recent event in Dublin.

Broughgammon is a family-run farm specialising in cabrito, rose veal and seasonal wild game meats. The farm is based at Ballycastle in county Antrim and has also won widespread acclaim for sustainable farming techniques. Managing director of the small farm business is Charlie Cole.

Mr Cole said: "We are delighted to have won such significant recognition from chefs and the food industry in Ireland. The Republic of Ireland is a key market for us and one we are keen to develop. This important award will increase our visibility especially among leading chefs.

The awards were presented by journalist and current chairperson of the Food Writers Guild, Aoife Carrigy, in the presence of chef Graham Neville, the Euro-Toques commissioner general; Peter Everett, the chair of the Euro-Toques Food Council who select the award recipients; Fintan Slye, chief executive of sponsors EirGrid; and the general membership of Euro-Toques.

"These awards symbolise what Euro-Toques is and what Euro-Toques chefs and restaurants are all about," said chef Graham Neville, the Euro-Toques commissioner general.

"Sourcing the best quality local ingredients from Irish farmers and food producers, and cherishing the direct link we have to the producer. Our kitchen doors are always open to farmers and food producers, who constantly inspire us and our menus, and we are delighted to annually award the Euro-Toques Food Awards to these rare gems in the Irish culinary scene. Our congratulations go to all this year's worthy winners."

The awards are made after farm visits and information about production methods and environmental impact. The awards are also supported by Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board.

Established in 1996 by the members of the Euro-Toques Food Committee, based on an original idea by Myrtle Allen, the awards are held annually to recognise and celebrate food produced in Ireland. No shortlists or nominations are published - the committee selects the products or producers who they believe most deserve to be recognised in any particular year, based on the nominations of Euro-Toques chefs, with usually only five awards being presented annually.

No producer can be in the running unless they have been nominated by a Euro-Toques chef who believes in and buys that product to put on their menu, nor can producers choose to enter the awards or canvass for consideration.

There are currently over 3,500 small to medium sized food businesses operating in Ireland. Euro-Toques chefs work directly with the small producers and credit this produce that comes through their kitchen doors every day with the success of their award-winning restaurants.

Furthermore, supporting small local food businesses benefits the local economy too: A study by the New Economics Foundation in London found that every €14 spent at a local food business is worth €35 for the local area, compared with just €20 when the same amount is spent in a supermarket or wholesaler.

The artisan sector in Ireland has grown so much in the last 10 years, there's almost nothing Irish artisans don't produce at this stage.

Picture: The Cole family, Broughgammon Farm.