Northern Irish success in Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards

Five Northern Ireland companies have been recognised in the prestigious Food and Drink Manufacturing Excellence Awards, the winners were announced recently.

The Northern Irish quintet was listed as finalists in the competition, often referred to as the 'Oscars of Food and Drink Manufacturing in the United Kingdom.

The four finalists were:

Mash Direct, a farm-based business in county Down specialising in potato and vegetable convenience foods, was listed in the Judges' Star Performer and Chilled and Dairy categories;

Avondale Foods, a manufacturer of soups, salads and mayonnaise from Lurgan, county Armagh, was also listed Chilled and Dairy Manufacturing category;

Moy Park, a poultry processor and Northern Ireland's biggest private sector business from Craigavon, county Armagh, listed in the Environmental Initiative of the Year;

Willowbrook Foods, another farm diversification business from Killinchy, county Down, listed in the Best New User of Food Ingredients;

Karro Foods, Northern Ireland's biggest pork processor from Cookstown, county Tyrone, listed as finalist in the Meat, Poultry and Seafood manufacturing category.

The annual awards were decided by an expert panel of judges headed by Paul Wilkinson, chair of the National Skills Academy. The event was co-ordinated by Food Manufacturing Excellence magazine.