The Irish Free From Food Awards
AMONG the panellists taking part in determining the best from the rest were free from food industry leaders along with nutritionists, dieticians, food writers and foodies, who will be meeting until the end of March at the FFFA headquarters in Clondalkin, Dublin.
Irish Free From Food Awards Co-ordinator Emma Clarke (left), Founder John Burke and Gluten Free Ireland Director and founder Derek Thompson, judging entries in Dublin, Ireland
Previous entries that have taken part and earned their marks to success include the three times Product Range of the Year producer, Tesco Ireland while 9 White Deer won last year’s Innovation Award for their gluten-free beer along with Maria Lucia bakes for their oat-free porridge, Promise Gluten Free for the instore baked range and Bute Island for their dairy and gluten-free soft cheese alternative.
The awards, founded in 2015 requiring that all entries available to Irish stores are certified to meet the needs of people with food allergies and lifestyle choices serve as a point of recognition for the supplier or producer as well as a mark of excellence for retailers offering a food development programme.
UK Free From Food Awards Director and Founder Michelle Berriedale-Johnson led a number of judging panels in Dublin, Ireland
“We found in our first year that one of our entrants won an award for their profiteroles,” said FFFA Co-ordinator Emma Clarke. “They got listed in retailers and that was a massive thing on foot of winning Product of the Year. To have that validated by people who could need that food is a huge thing and that is why it is important to us to have the mixture of judges that we have.”
Entries earn marks out of 10 from a comprehensive selection of judges, the highest being the Overall Winner as well as awards for gold, silver and bronze badges and merited products, which appear as a logo image on commercial packaging. The fifth annual awards are scheduled to take place in May.
“We are looking forward to celebrating our fifth year at the awards,” said Emma Clarke. “The ultimate benefit is the FFFA logo on your product and that means you won an award out of variety of similar products. You can show a badge on your product if you are the one who got the award.”
The awards badges can be vital to retailers who are looking for the best in the free from industry while highlighting producers for major supermarkets as well as artisan and crafts people.
Pizza was one of the food categories to be judged at the Free From Food Awards Ireland
Emma Clarke added: “Winning an award can help elevate a product profile, potentially earning a place with a retailer.”
Entries begin annually in and around November with final submissions at the end of January. Products are then assessed for their confirmed allergy-free content and entered into the judging phase, which takes place in March with all winners receiving their awards in May.
The FFFA is partnered with the Irish Examiner and sponsored by Juvela, Gluten Free Ireland, Healthpro, Clear Designs and Maria McHale Express PR, and can include breakfast products, sweet and savoury snacks, breads, meats, readymade, sauces and mixes.
Anyone who is interested in judging the 2021 awards can email emma@fffa.ie, while food producers who would like to enter their products are invited to email info@fffa.ie.
The Free From Food Awards Ireland is online at https://www.fffa.ie. As well as on Facebook and Twitter.
