A feast of beef, blue cheese and black pudding: IFWG Food Awards 2025
The annual Irish Food Writers’ Guild Food Awards are always a celebration of the best of Irish food, done in the very best way: by eating together.
For today’s event we gathered at Ananda Restaurant in Dundrum to acknowledge eight winners. There was black pudding and ice cream from Kerry, a very fine Côte de boeuf, Irish poitín with a modern twist, regenerative farming and seed saving in Co Clare, a farm-to-table-back-to-farm initiative in Limerick and a Lifetime Achievement Award for a couple who have been in the forefront of Irish cheesemaking since 1984. An eclectic line up, I’m sure you’ll agree, but one that reflects the diversity, the integrity and the outstanding flavour of food across the island of Ireland.
Ananda was a superb venue, picked for its consistent use of quality Irish produce, and the menu – showcasing the award-winning producers – was created by chef Sunuraj Thadiyil Kuttappan in association with Conor Spacey, winner of our 2024 IFWG Food Award for notable contribution to Irish food.
It was my great pleasure to host Jane and Louis Grubb of Cashel Blue, the very deserving winners of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and to write the citation.
When Jane and Louis Grubb first launched Cashel Blue in 1984 it was made – eight cheeses at a time – in a repurposed 80-litre copper brewer’s vat using milk from the family farm at Beechmount, near Fethard, County Tipperary. This small beginning was to be followed by great things. By taking first-class grass-fed milk and introducing it to Penicillium Roqueforti during the cheesemaking process, the Grubbs created something very special: Ireland’s first native blue cheese. Over the last 41 years, Cashel Blue has won numerous awards and plaudits while production has expanded to keep up with demand at home and abroad. By carefully blending tradition and technology with the best of local milk this family-run business has managed to become bigger and better without losing the focus on quality and authenticity. It continues to be one of the best known of the Irish farmhouse cheeses.In 2003, Jane and Louis’ daughter, Sarah, and her Italian husband Sergio Furno, joined the business, working to ensure that the Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers future is sustainable on all levels.
Well-balanced, rich and creamy with a delicious tang, Cashel Blue – what John McKenna called “a monstrously wonderful cheese” back in 1989 – is most democratic. It can be found across supermarkets, cheese counters and delicatessens or used by chefs on high-end restaurant menus and café sandwich boards. That is why most Irish people’s first experience of blue cheese is, quite simply Cashel Blue. It always brings something special to the table, along with its Cashel Farmhouse fellows: an organic version of Cashel Blue, and sheep milk cheeses Crozier Blue and Shepherd’s Store.
Today we salute two of the pioneers of cheesemaking in Ireland: Jane and Louis Grubb of Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers.
Winners of the 2025 IFWG Food Awards:
- Food Award: Sneem Black Pudding – Peter O’ Sullivan Butchers, Co. Kerry. A traditional blood sausage with a smooth, mousse-like texture, crafted in small batches using locally sourced ingredients including fresh blood and a recipe passed down through generations, resulting in a rich, earthy flavour with subtle seasoning and exceptional provenance.
- Food Award: Murphy’s Ice Cream, Co. Kerry. Crafting award-winning ice cream with a focus on local, inventive flavours, Murphy’s Ice Cream uses milk from the Kerry Cow and ingredients sourced from nearby farms, creating indulgent, high-quality treats that celebrate the best of County Kerry.
- Food Award: 40 day aged Côte de boeuf – Higgins Family Butcher, Co. Dublin. Known for their dry-aged expertise, Higgins Family Butchers’ 40 day aged Côte de boeuf is a standout, expertly aged to enhance its rich, tender flavour and exceptional texture, making it a must-try for meat lovers and a signature offering in their acclaimed range.
- Irish Drink Award: Pooka Hazelnut Poitín Liqueur – Mourne Dew Distillery, Co. Down. The Pooka Hazelnut Poitín Liqueur combines rich, nutty flavors with hints of vanilla, chocolate, and cream, offering a smooth, innovative twist on traditional poitín. Recognised for its exceptional quality, it’s a standout among Mourne Dew’s renowned range of spirits.
- Notable Contribution to Irish Food: Moy Hill Farm, Co. Clare. A vibrant regenerative farm that blends sustainability and community spirit, Moyhill Farm nurtures nutrient-dense organic produce while promoting biodiversity and teaching future generations the art of holistic farming.
- Environmental Award: Master Chefs Ellan Farm, Co. Limerick. A pioneering initiative by Master Chefs, this organic farm blends sustainability and zero-waste practices to supply high-quality, locally grown food to Ireland’s catering industry. Their farm-to-table-back-to-farm approach sets a new standard in ethical, community-focused food production.
- Community Food Award: Irish Seed Savers Association, Co. Clare. A beacon of sustainable agriculture, Irish Seed Savers works tirelessly to conserve Ireland’s food crop heritage, ensuring the protection of genetic diversity in our food systems. Their efforts to safeguard plant genetic resources are crucial to the future of food security and biodiversity.
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Jane and Louis Grubb of Cashel Blue, Co. Tipperary. In 1984 Jane and Louis Grubb introduced Cashel Blue, Ireland’s first native blue cheese, made with milk from their family farm. Their legacy continues, blending tradition with innovation, producing award-winning cheeses like Cashel Blue, Crozier Blue, and Shepherd’s Store. Their dedication to quality has made them a cornerstone of Ireland’s cheesemaking industry.
