Ballymaloe Foods add a grown-up twist to delicious cranberry sauce! i-Stil 38 Premium Irish Vodka in a limited-edition for Christmas

Ballymaloe Foods add a grown-up twist to a delicious cranberry sauce!

iStil Ballymaloe Foods Royale

i-Stil 38 Premium Irish Vodka in a limited-edition for Christmas. 

As part of their ongoing commitment to engage with the best local Irish producers, Ballymaloe Foods is proud to announce details of their latest partnership, a cranberry sauce made with i-Stil 38 Premium Irish Vodka.

Since the brand was established in 1990, Ballymaloe Foods has always prioritized working with the best producers and suppliers to ensure their products are of the highest quality and always taste great. Their collaboration with i-Stil 38 Premium Irish Vodka is a prime example.

One of the three vodkas in the i-Stil 38 portfolio, is a pink berry made naturally with distilled Irish grains and Irish berries. It is rich with a fresh, fruity flavour and was chosen by the Ballymaloe team to infuse with their cranberry sauce. The end result is a grown-up twist on a delicious cranberry sauce that works wonderfully with roast turkey, nut loaf, brie cheese or even mixed into a festive cocktail.

General Manager of Ballymaloe Foods and daughter of the company’s founder, Maxine Hyde adds,

“With the holiday season nearly upon us, no dinner table is complete without a jar of cranberry sauce - whether it's destined for the plate or lovingly dressed onto a sandwich, it is the perfect accompaniment to so many Christmas meals. I have also taken great pleasure in mixing our Ballymaloe & i-Stil 38 Vodka cranberry sauce into some very tasty cocktails, an ideal way to celebrate some Christmas cheer!”

Oisin Davis* of Great Irish Beverages consulted on a cocktail creation for the cranberry sauce, a simple drink to mix up either at home or in a bar.

CRANBERRY CHRISTMAS ROYALE

INGREDIENTS:
35 ml i-Stil 38 pink berries vodka, 1 teaspoon Ballymaloe & i-Stil 38  vodka cranberry sauce, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, 100 ml of dry prosecco and a lemon twist to garnish.

METHOD:
Place the cranberry sauce into an iced shaker and pour in the vodka and lemon juice. Seal the shaker and shake hard for ten seconds. Fine strain the cocktail into a chilled champagne glass before topping up with the prosecco and garnishing with a lemon twist.

* Fancy more cocktails with great Irish ingredients? Try Oisin's debut book,"Irish Kitchen Cocktails", published earlier this October (2023).

Ballymaloe Foods and MamaBear Foods join forces as Cork business women team up.

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CORK BUSINESS WOMEN TEAM UP 

TO OFFER HEALTHY FOODS FOR IRISH FAMILIES

Ballymaloe Foods and MamaBear Foods join forces

Sisters Rosaleen (left) and Maxine Hyde of Ballymaloe Foods - celebrating the news with

MamaBear's Loretta Kennedy (right)

Ballymaloe Foods has successfully completed its first business acquisition, by acquiring MamaBear Foods. The deal was finalised by sisters Maxine and Rosaleen Hyde of Ballymaloe Foods, and Loretta Kennedy, the founder of MamaBear Foods.

MamaBear Foods produces a range of healthy ketchups and pasta sauces for the family while Ballymaloe Foods is famous for its relish and award-winning condiments. The three mums will work together to grow the MamaBear Foods business and expand the range of healthy and family-friendly products. 

Maxine Hyde, co-director of Ballymaloe Foods said: “As mums with young families we are concerned about the lack of Irish made, healthy snack and food options for young children. We love Loretta's concept and existing products and decided we would like to be a part of the next chapter of MamaBear foods. We really look forward to working with Loretta.”

 

Owner of MamaBear Foods, Loretta Kennedy said: “From day one we have been about using only the best natural ingredients, keeping the sugar content down, using recyclable packaging and adding in helpful ingredients like prebiotic fibre. We started this business from my kitchen in Cork, just like Yasmin Hyde did with Ballymaloe Foods. We are delighted to join the Ballymaloe Foods company and to grow our brand with the wonderful team there.”

Loretta set up MamaBear Foods in Cork in 2018 when she found there were no healthy ketchups on the market in Ireland, so she began making her own. The Cork based mum-of-three then launched the reduced sugar and gut-friendly ketchup and it has proven to be very popular with parents looking for healthier alternatives for their families. 

MamaBear Foods is already available in many Irish supermarkets including SuperValu, Dunnes Stores and Aldi. The brand will remain the same while Ballymaloe Foods will help to promote the MamaBear Foods business and grow the brand nationally. Loretta will join Ballymaloe Foods as part of the venture.

Ballymaloe Foods worked with Paul O’Connell in Quintas Accountancy and Sinead McNamara in Fitzgerald’s Legal and Advisory to complete the deal. 

RELISHING THE CHALLENGE OF RUNNING AN IRISH BUSINESS

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RELISHING THE CHALLENGE OF RUNNING AN IRISH BUSINESS

“Even though challenges are daunting, having a challenge is a great thing for anyone” - Yasmin Hyde on growing Ballymaloe Foods

The founder of Ballymaloe Foods says there is a very thin line between success and failure. Yasmin Hyde was speaking during the first ever live NeighbourFood Podcast held as part of the Cork on a Fork Food Festival. She encouraged anyone thinking of setting up a business to start small and to accept any help you can get along the way. 

Yasmin Hyde, the daughter of Myrtle Allen, told the audience at the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork City about how she began producing Ballymaloe Relish in her kitchen using her mother’s recipe. She started Ballymaloe Foods in 1990 and the business continues to grow and now produces a range of relishes, sauces and pickles in their purpose built kitchens located in Little Island, County Cork.

For the first five years, Yasmin worked out of a portacabin in her back garden, and drove around in a hand-me-down Lada delivering the relish to various supermarkets. Ballymaloe Foods now employs 35 people, including Yasmin’s three children and her daughter in law.

Yasmin said, “There is a very thin line between success and failure so any little bit of help is wonderful. The local enterprise office was wonderful, we now work with Enterprise Ireland. I was confident too that I had a good product and if you start small you can find your way along.” 

Reminiscing on one of her earliest food memories, Yasmin remarked eating fresh mackerel the day it was caught. Her mother had taught her that quality ingredients make delicious foods. When asked about what philosophies she has followed throughout her lifetime, it was “attention to detail and trying to do everything right to the best you can”. Yasmin also learned from Myrtle that treating your staff well is crucial. When Myrtle was opening up the restaurant at Ballymaloe House, Hyde recalls that she “didn’t want to bring in trained chefs as they would only want to do it their own way, while she wanted them to do it her way!”.

Aside from the relish, Yasmin is most proud of the Ballymaloe pickled beetroot, as it is the only 100% Irish locally produced beetroot available nationwide. The idea stemmed from passing a farmer at a local supermarket. Without knowing the size of his land, she handed him her business card, and he began growing beetroot for her. 

Yasmin explained, “We were losing industries in Ireland, you used to be able to buy glass, vinegar and sugar in Ireland. I asked what can we grow here and came up with beetroot. I was going in the back door of Supervalu when I met a farmer with beautiful vegetables. He grew beetroot for five years for us, it was washed and picked by hand. Now we’ve moved to a larger farm. The beetroot is selling very well and is taking on all the imported products.”

The Covid-19 pandemic has been the most challenging issue the business has faced, as they lost their food service business overnight, however, their retail business grew substantially. Having thanked her staff for rising to the challenge, she commented that, “Even though challenges are daunting, having a challenge is a great thing for anyone.” 

The full podcast is available to listen here: 

https://shows.acast.com/the-neighbourfood-podcast/episodes/yasminhyde-ballymaloefoods 

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BALLYMALOE FOODS SCOOPS MAJOR FOOD AWARDS

August News via Press Release 

BALLYMALOE FOODS SCOOPS MAJOR FOOD AWARDS 

Ballymaloe Pepper Relish and Steak Sauce picks up Great Taste Awards

Yasmine and, right, Maxine Hyde (GM Ballymaloe Foods)

 

 

Ballymaloe Foods has received two awards at this year’s prestigious Great Taste international awards for its Ballymaloe Pepper Relish and Ballymaloe Steak Sauce with Irish Stout. 

The Great Taste awards, run by the Guild of Fine Food in the UK, are known as the world’s most trusted food and drink awards. All products are removed from their packaging before being tasted by a panel of judges made up of food critics, chefs, restaurateurs, retail buyers, cooks, producers, food writers and journalists. 

 

Ballymaloe Foods Pepper Relish and Steak Sauce both received a one-star award and will now be able to display the unmistakable black and gold logo, a stamp of excellence that is recognised by retailers and consumers alike. 

 

General Manager at Ballymaloe Foods, Maxine Hyde said the company is delighted with the Great Taste Awards, “We are thrilled that two of our products have been selected after being judged by a panel of 500 industry professionals. One of the judges remarked upon the quality of our ingredients which is something we’re incredibly passionate about. We go to great lengths to source local produce whenever possible. We love to collaborate with Irish producers, our award winning steak sauce contains Dungarvan Irish Stout and we’re thrilled to see that O’Donnells also picked up a Great Taste Award for their Ballymaloe Relish & Cheddar Cheese flavour crisps.”

 

The award judges described Ballymaloe Pepper Relish as: “Inviting sweet and fresh aroma of roasted tomato and fresh chilli with an acidic back note. We really enjoyed the slightly chunky texture and felt it was made with good quality ingredients. The mouthfeel was lovely, and the flavours very well-balanced.” The Ballymaloe Steak Sauce was described as: “It tasted like an adult tomato ketchup. The tarragon was well balanced and evident with a pleasing pop from the mustard seeds. Yummy, would lift many things like fish pie, cold meats.”

 

In total, 5,383 products from 110 countries were given awards out of more than 14,000 entries. 

 

Ballymaloe Foods is also hosting a coffee morning next week in aid of its charity partner ALONE. The event in Carrigtwohill Community Centre takes place on Saturday, August 13th from 1pm to 4pm. The Ballymaloe Foods team were asked to nominate a charity for 2022 and voted to partner with ALONE. It supports older people and helps them to age happily and securely at home.

BALLYMALOE FOODS LAUNCHES LIMITED EDITION COLLABORATION WITH THE DOUGH BROS

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BALLYMALOE FOODS LAUNCHES LIMITED EDITION COLLABORATION WITH THE DOUGH BROS

The Dough Bros: Ronan and Eugene Greaney

Ballymaloe Foods has joined forces with The Dough Bros Wood Fired Pizza to launch a limited edition pizza kit. It is the latest in a series of collaborations between the Cork based company and Irish restaurants and producers. 

The Dough Bros is located in Galway and was started by brothers Eugene and Ronan Greaney in 2013. Last year, it was named the best pizza takeaway in Europe by 50 Top Pizza, which publishes guides to the best pizzerias across the world. It was also named Top Pizzeria in Ireland. 

The collaboration will see jars of Ballymaloe Original Relish or Ballymaloe Fiery Relish included in DIY home pizza kits which can be shipped nationwide. 

Donnacha Ryan is the Foodservice Business Development Manager at Ballymaloe Foods. He said, “We’re really excited about the collaboration with The Dough Bros because it’s two family-owned businesses working together. They share our passion about bringing delicious food to customers. It has been an extremely challenging two years for all businesses in the food service industry which is why it’s so important to support each other in whatever way we can.” 

Eugene Greaney from The Dough Bros added, "One of the best things since starting our DIY Pizza Kits has been the chance to work with some of the very best of Irish chefs, producers and brands. Ballymaloe Foods is a staple in every home in Ireland so it’s great to get the chance to work with them and use their incredible relishes on our wood fired pizzas. We can’t wait to ship them to people all over the country. We know they are going to love what we have come up with."

The pizza kits will be available to order from The Dough Bros website from the 17th to the 20th of January and will be shipped nationwide on the 21st of January. Customers can choose from a meatball pizza with Ballymaloe Fiery Relish or a four cheese pizza with Ballymaloe Original Relish, each box will include all the ingredients to make two pizzas. A Ballymaloe branded wooden spoon and two bottles of Kombucha made locally in Galway will also be included. The kits are priced at €36.99 and include free delivery. To order, visit www.thedoughbros.ie

Festival Food & Drink Favourites 2021. Eight Degrees and Bakestone in Happy Holiday Pairing

Festival Food & Drink Favourites 2021

Eight Degrees and Bakestone in Happy Holiday Pairing

What were your food and drink favourites over the Christmas and New Year?

I’d say one of mine came at the end of the Christmas Day Dinner when we matched the Bakestone Pudding with a shared can of Eight Degrees Irish Oak-aged Barleywine. At 12.2% abv, this is a heavy hitter and needs respect. Pour a little into a wine glass and sip and enjoy. It went perfectly with the pudding from East Cork (you’ll find Bakestone at Cobh Cross - they’ve been there for years and, as well as a popular café, have a magnificent pantry of top notch Irish produce).

And so it was appropriate that it was two locally made products that topped our Christmas bill!

The Eight Degrees’ aromatic and multi-flavoured seasonal special was aged in especially rare Irish whiskey barrels that have been made from native Irish oak. Not alone did it pair with the rich and dark pudding but it also went well with the light and delicious Christmas cake from Barnabrow House (bought at Roughty Foodie) and also with the cheese course, notably with the Crozier Blue (via On The Pig’s Back).

Bubbles are usually associated with the festivities at this time of year and I was lucky to have a couple of delicious bottles of Prosecco on hand, each by Bottega. The Gold Prosecco Brut impressed for sure but it was the Bottega Rose Gold that really caught my attention. It is a terrific Spumante Brut rose, made from Pinot Noir grapes grown throughout the Veneto.

The hand painted bottles are not only eye-catching but "reflect the quality and care put into producing this wine”. Bottega do not use chemical-based products for their metallised bottles; this means the solvent for the varnish is water-based, instead of being oil or alcohol-based like more traditional varnishes.

It wasn’t just Prosecco of course. There was wine. We won’t go into too much detail just to say that we had an impressive pair via Liberty Wine for dinner on the big day. From South Africa came the Western Cape Momento, the country’s only Grenache Gris. And we made it a lovely Grenache double with the red, a Willunga 100 from the McLaren Vale in Australia.

You always need something extra to bring the best out of all the good stuff on the table at Christmas and two jars in particular were in regular use here. One was the Big Red Kitchen’s Spiced Plum and Port Jam and the other was the seasonal Ballymaloe Foods Cranberry and Mór Wild Berry Gin Sauce.

The Spiced Plum and Port Jam is very versatile, a match with paté, cheese and duck and we find it  outstanding with Skeaghanore smoked duck breast and gives the Skeaghanore Confit Leg sweet hint of Asia. This year it also impressed with the Bakestone pudding. Nicola of the Red Kitchen combines ripe plums with a hint of warming cinnamon and port in this excellent seasonal preserve which is also wonderful with scones and bread. It won’t go to waste around here.

And neither did the Ballymaloe Foods Cranberry and Mór Wild Berry Gin Sauce. It certainly did what it says on the jar and enhanced the turkey (and the other meats) no end and also impressed when used with the cheese board. This blend of cranberries and the Irish gin proved indispensable over the week.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Cork Christmas without a helping of spiced beef on the table. No shortage here thankfully and, supplied (like the turkey and ham) by local craft butcher Chris Davidson, it was once again a highlight. Turkey and ham was pretty good too!

Another highlight was our order from Ummera Smokehouse in Timoleague, a box packed with chicken, duck, salmon (two ways), even rashers, all smoked and all delicious as always. Good use was made of this package over the holidays. Nothing like a bit of variety over the hols.

We did indeed use the Ummera smoked chicken on New Year’s Eve and later there were more holiday bubbles. It was now the turn of a super Beaumont des Crayères Vintage 2013 Fleur Blanche Blanc de Blancs Brut (via O’Briens Wines) to shine. Intense and exciting from the engaging first sip, with fountains of micro-bubbles powering upwards, with biscuity aromas and flavours and floral notes too, this is one of the better ones for sure. It is made from 100% Chardonnay and obviously 2013 was a very good year.

Let us hope that 2022 will also be a good one. Happy New Year to you all and fingers crossed that it will be better for all of us.

 

Taste of the Christmas Week. Ballymaloe Foods Cranberry and Mór Gin Sauce

Taste of the Christmas Week. 

Ballymaloe Foods Cranberry and Mór Gin Sauce

Little Island based

Ballymaloe Foods came up with a Christmas table winner with their Cranberry
and Mór Wild Berry Gin Cranberry Sauce. It certainly did what it says on the jar and enhanced the turkey (and the other meats) no end and also impressed when used with the cheese board. This blend of cranberries and the Irish gin proved indispensable and is our Taste of the Week.

No surprise really that the partnership between the Cork firm and the County Offaly distillery came up trumps as one of the botanicals used in the gin is, yes, cranberries! It is billed on the jar as a "Limited Edition Sauce"; hopefully it will be around for the long term!

BALLYMALOE FOODS COLLABORATE WITH MÓR IRISH GIN ON LIMITED EDITION CHRISTMAS SAUCE

 PRESS RELEASE

BALLYMALOE FOODS COLLABORATE WITH MÓR IRISH GIN ON LIMITED EDITION CHRISTMAS SAUCE

Ballymaloe Foods has partnered with Mór Irish Gin to create a limited edition Cranberry sauce. It is the latest in a series of collaborations between the Cork based company and Irish producers and restaurants. 

Ballymaloe Cranberry and Mór Wild Berry Gin Sauce will be stocked in hundreds of supermarkets around the country including Tesco, Dunnes and SuperValu.

Maxine Hyde, General Manager of Ballymaloe Foods says, “We love collaborating with different Irish producers and we felt there was a good synergy with Mór Irish Gin.  They were very keen to do a collaboration with an established Irish food brand and when we tested their Wild Berry Gin with our cranberry sauce the flavour was great.  We always aim to bring something new to our consumers at Christmas and feel that limited edition sauces work well and were delighted to be able to work with Mór on this.” 

The Cornstore Restaurant in Cork has created a special cocktail using Ballymaloe Cranberry and Mór Wild Berry Gin Sauce. The gin-based cocktail is called ‘Naughty & Spice’ and includes rosemary, nutmeg, lemon juice and Cointreau.

During 2021, Ballymaloe Foods worked with Esquires Coffee, CoqBull restaurants in Cork and Limerick, Cornstore Restaurant and Toasted.  It began working with two Northern Ireland based businesses, collaborating with Toast Office in Belfast as well as Blend and Batch in Banbridge.

Ballymaloe Foods has also teamed up with meal delivery service Drop Chef. Ballymaloe Fiery Relish is now included in the pre-portioned ingredients for several recipes like Steak Tacos and Shakshuka.

BALLYMALOE FOODS LAUNCHES COLLABORATION WITH IRISH COFFEE CHAIN

BALLYMALOE FOODS LAUNCHES COLLABORATION

 WITH IRISH COFFEE CHAIN

Ballymaloe Foods has teamed up with leading food chain Esquires Coffee to develop a Christmas offering. It follows a series of similar collaborations announced by Ballymaloe Foods this year as it joined forces with restaurants and food service outlets in Ireland.

During 2021, Ballymaloe Foods worked with CoqBull restaurants in Cork and Limerick to create a limited edition burger using its fiery and original relish. Cornstore included Ballymaloe Foods roasting sauces in its Mother’s Day Gift Boxes. Ballymaloe Foods teamed up with Toasted in the Marina Market and Tramore Valley Park who use Ballymaloe Mayo in its Pure Cork Sandwich. 

The Cork-based company also began working with two Northern Ireland based businesses collaborating with Toast Office in Belfast as well as Blend and Batch in Banbridge. 

The new collaboration with Esquires Coffee centres around a limited edition Christmas sandwich now available at the chain’s 14 locations across Ireland. The premium sambo is packed with roast breast of fresh turkey served with a rich Ballymaloe Cranberry Sauce, Tullamore baked ham, sun-blushed tomatoes on sourdough bread. 

Sarah Collins, Marketing Manager for Ballymaloe Foods said, “We love working with restaurants and cafes across Ireland especially when they share our passion for sourcing good-quality Irish ingredients. It’s wonderful to see our products being used in creative ways. We’re thrilled to have Esquires Coffee using Ballymaloe Cranberry Sauce in their limited edition sandwich. It tastes like Christmas on a plate.”

Esquires Coffee has 14 locations across Ireland including in Carrick-on-Shannon, Castlecomer, Clonmel, Drogheda, Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Longford, Mullingar, Navan and Roscommon. 

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BALLYMALOE FOODS EXPANDS IN GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND

BALLYMALOE FOODS EXPANDS IN GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND

Ballymaloe Original Relish is now available in 500 Tesco stores across Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Pictured at Tesco, Newry, are Peter Rodgers, Business Manager Valeo Foods; Michael Crealey, Tesco Northern Ireland Buyer;  Niamh Wall, Ballymaloe Foods Account Manager. Pic Aaron McCracken

 

Ballymaloe Foods is growing its business in Great Britain and Northern Ireland thanks to increased demand for its products. The Cork based food company has signed a new nationwide deal with Tesco in Great Britain which sees 170 additional stores stocking its Ballymaloe Original Relish. The additional stores bring the total to more than 500 stores across Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 

 

In addition, Ballymaloe Foods has agreed a deal with Tesco in Northern Ireland to stock Ballymaloe Pickled Irish Beetroot for the first time. Consumers in Northern Ireland are now able to pick up a delicious jar of Ballymaloe Pickled Irish Beetroot.  The Beetroot is available in dices or slices and is a great accompaniment to salads, sandwiches and much more. Ballymaloe Foods is working in partnership with Valeo Foods to distribute its products. 

 

General Manager of Ballymaloe Foods, Maxine Hyde said: “We have strong ambitions to grow in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. There is so much love for the brand across retail and foodservice and it is wonderful to see that our Original Relish is on Tesco shelves in every corner of the UK. Our products continue to be extremely popular in Northern Ireland and the addition of Ballymaloe Sliced and Diced Beetroot means even more choice for the consumer. Over the last few years our Original Relish has become the go-to relish for many foodservice places in the North and we are delighted to be appearing on menus in places such as General Merchants, Blend and Batch, Toast Office and RetrosGrilled Cheese.”

 

Peter Rodgers, Business Manager, Valeo Foods Northern Ireland added: “It has been fantastic to further develop our partnership with Ballymaloe Foods and Tesco Northern Ireland with the listing of the award-winning and delicious Ballymaloe Beetroot products, which we supply from our Lisburn warehouse.“

 

All the beetroot used by Ballymaloe Foods is planted, pickled and packed locally in East Cork making it the only 100% Irish locally produced beetroot available nationwide. The entire range of Ballymaloe Sliced and Diced Irish Beetroot has been recognised at the Great Taste Awards in 2020 and 2021 and displays the unmistakable black and gold logo, a stamp of excellence that is recognised by retailers and consumers alike. When the judges of the Great Taste Awards tasted its diced beetroot in 2020 they awarded 2 stars out of a maximum of 3 and commented: “This is pure, beautiful beetroot, naturally sweet and packed with all the sweet earthiness we expected. The beetroot has retained its natural crunch. So clever - so well done.” 

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CORK’S BALLYMALOE FOODS SCOOPS MAJOR FOOD AWARD

 CORK’S BALLYMALOE FOODS SCOOPS MAJOR FOOD AWARD 

Ballymaloe Foods Beetroot product picks up Great Taste Award 

 

Ballymaloe Foods has received a one-star award at this year’s prestigious Great Taste international awards for its Ballymaloe Sliced Pickled Irish Beetroot. The Great Taste awards, run by the Guild of Fine Food in the UK, are known as the world’s most trusted food and drink awards.  

 

The entire range of Ballymaloe Sliced and Diced Irish Beetroot will now be able to display the unmistakable black and gold logo, a stamp of excellence that is recognised by retailers and consumers alike. 

 

All the beetroot used by Ballymaloe Foods is planted, pickled and packed locally in East Cork making it the only 100% Irish locally produced beetroot available nationwide. Two farmers, Joe Hartnett and Darren Allen, have set aside 24 acres to grow the purple vegetable every year.  

 

General Manager at Ballymaloe Foods, Maxine Hyde said the company is delighted with the Great Taste Award, “We are over the moon to get such great news about Ballymaloe Sliced Pickled Irish Beetroot. Our beetroot is a lovely example of a farm to fork journey, showing traceability, sustainability, and the benefits of using local produce to create something special.  We are very proud that this product has been awarded 1-star in the Great Taste Awards in 2021 and we share this honour with our two local farmers Joe and Darren as without their hard work this product would not be on shelves and in kitchens around Ireland.” 

 

The award judges described Ballymaloe Sliced Pickled Irish Beetroot as: “Darkly jewelled red with a translucency in the pieces of beetroot that vary in size and shape. Tender to cut but with good integrity so that there is a bite to them. Great flavour with sweetness then sharpness from the vinegar that then meld together with the typical beetroot earthiness. Versatile and probably delicious in a goat's cheese tart.  We enjoyed these pickles.”

 

In total, 5,383 products were given awards from more than 100 countries. 

 

The Guild of Fine Food’s Great Taste awards was founded in 1994 and are seen as a stamp of excellence for food products. There are 355 judges and they include food critics, chefs, restaurateurs, retail buyers, cooks, producers, food writers and journalists. All products are removed from their packaging before being tasted. 

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