Gianpiero De Vallier of The Artisan Pizza Company first came to Blas na hEireann in Dingle as a finalist in October 2014 and was a bronze winner in that year, returning in 2015 to take home silver. You can fine more details on Gianpiero and his wife Cliona’s business on www.pizzadapiero.com or to find out more about his and other winners and finalists you might like to check out our 2015 directory.

When & why did you start your business?
I started the business together with Cliona, my wife, soon after our wedding in the summer of 2007. Until then, I had only made pizza bases for us at home though we had trialled them for a transition year class in the school she was working in at the time, St. Tiernan’s. Needless to say, they went down a treat with students and staff. We had always agreed that when the time was right I should open my own bakery selling and sharing the pizzas with the general public, not just family and friends. They were literally too good not to share and we had noticed a big gap in the market for high quality fresh pizza bases. I quit my job and salary, and we just went for it.

We are amazed every day by how much our business has grown from nothing back then, starting with a small personal loan to purchase the basic equipment needed. Having baked all day, Cliona and I would spend the evening or the following early morning delivering the pizzas to the very small number of artisan food shops who were good enough to recognise the quality of the product (and turn a blind eye to the very basic packaging). Since then, Cliona’s been lucky enough to have been employed in her present position as Resource teacher at St Andrew’s College in Booterstown, who have now very kindly allowed her to take a career break in order to support me in growing the business and to stay at home with our three daughters Julie (5), Maria (4) and Roisin (2). We now employ 8 staff members, stock over 150 shops across Ireland (and growing), and every day receive very thoughtful emails from people not only in Ireland, but across the UK and mainland Europe, requesting that we stock our bases in their local artisan shop.

We have been very lucky in many other ways since the day we got the phone call in July 2007 from SPADE Enterprise Centre in North King Street, offering us a unit to rent on a monthly basis at a very reasonable rate. At that time in Dublin, it was almost impossible to find anything that didn’t involve exorbitant rates and long term leasing and the support and assistance provided by the staff at SPADE was exceptional. Very soon after, the Dublin Food Coop market offered us a market stall to sell the baked pizzas which gave us a chance to see how people enjoyed them and importantly, to get their feedback. It was also a great place to make contacts in our early years with people who ran food stores and were looking for new products.

Two years after starting up, we were very fortunate to find a bigger space to rent behind James Lawlor’s butchers in Rathmines. Again, James was extremely supportive and couldn’t have been more helpful to us at this time of major transition. He put us in touch with Europa Foods distributors and overnight, they took over our daily deliveries. Europa Foods also managed the growing number of stockists on our books. We were only employing one baker at this time and all admin was being done at home, so finding Europa Foods was a major relief for our business and for us personally, as very soon after that, our first baby arrived- Julie.

Tell us about the people you work with?
Since starting we have hired many invaluable staff members who work tirelessly to support and grow our brand and business. Some are Italian, some Polish, some Moldovan and some Irish. We appreciate their hard work, loyalty, and long (often unsocial) hours of dedication throughout the week from Sunday night to Friday evening.

What is your typical day? What is your favourite part of the day?
Usually I’m up at 1am when I start mixing the starters which have been prepared the previous day. I mix them with the key natural ingredients of flour, water, extra virgin olive oil and sea salt, to then become the dough balls that will later rise sufficiently to be flattened into a pizza base. Later in the morning the bases are individually baked on the stone oven and cooled down before packaging. Production is usually complete by the afternoon when the bases are boxed and delivered to our distribution partners Europa Foods. They complete the pizza bases’ journey by taking them to each stockist across Leinster and now further afield. I return home from the bakery at about 4pm to my three young daughters who literally cling onto my legs until I fall over with tiredness at about 6pm! This is easily my favourite time of day when I can enjoy time with my family and recover from a long day’s work.

What three words would you use to describe yourself/your business?
Traditionalist – especially when it comes to Italian food
Meticulous – about every detail of the production process
Family-oriented – in the old-fashioned Irish/Italian way!

What do you think is the key to success?
Hard to say as there are so many components to feeling a sense of success, but hard work, supportive family and friends, a little bit of luck would definitely contribute in a big way!

What was your best day since you started this business?
For us, one of our key standout moments was in October 2014, having just returned from our first win at Blas na hEireann in Dingle, listening to Marian Finucane. We heard Neven Maguire discuss a Hallowe’en pizza recipe using Pizza da Piero pizza bases. We were amazed to hear how much he loved our pizzas and enthusiastically describe how much his children enjoy making and eating them too. Then we found that Neven published “The Nation’s Favourite Food – Fast!” and had written my pizza bases into his recipe with an introductory paragraph describing them as “fantastic”, “authentic” and “easy to use”. This endorsement has meant so much to us, especially from a chef as acclaimed as he is.

It was thanks to Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards (for which we won Bronze 2014 and Silver 2015 in the ‘Contintental Breads’ category) that Neven Maguire discovered our pizza bases and went on to recommend them so much.

 

Marcus from the Reel Deel Brewing based in Crossmolina and the brewery’s name comes from the fact that the town sits on the

River Deel near the northern shore of Lough Conn. In 2015 Marcus brought home a bronze award to County Mayo for their Jack the Lad pale ale which Marcus recommends as a perfect match for Cashel Blue.

You can find more details on www.reeldeelbrewery.ie or to find out more about these and other winners and finalists you might like to view our 2015 directory.

When & why did you start your business?
We started brewing in 2014 because we love good beer, full flavoured, leave the industrial, bland stuff behind.

Who is your food inspiration?
Anyone who uses craft beer in their cooking or matches their food with beer.

What do you love about your job?
I love the creativity, putting recipes together, sampling can be fun too.

What is your typical day?
Hit the brewery around 7:30 to 8:00, admin and cleaning take up the bulk of most days, bottling days are fun, but brew days are the best.

What is your favourite part of the day?
First thing in the morning.

What was your best day since you started this business?
The day the brewery equipment arrived was a good day.

Where do your ingredients come from?
95% of our malt is Irish, the hops we use are from UK, France and USA though I eagerly await a commercial hop farm in Ireland, it would be fantastic if we could brew with Irish hops.

Tell us about the people you work with?
Paul is an engineer by trade, he has caught the brewing bug and now brews with passion and blood sweat and tears.

What three words would you use to describe yourself/your business?
Innovative, passionate and proud.

What do you think is the key to success?
Consistent high quality beer, good branding and lots of passion.

 

 

Richard & Leona Kane from Broighter Gold won a Gold award in 2015 as well as a Silver and Bronze at the 2014 awards. The Kane Family have been farming in Myroe for well over 100 years, working the land at Broglasco Farm, Limavady.

You can find more details on their website or to find out more about these and other winners and finalists you might like to view our 2015 directory.

When & why did you start your business?
I started my business completely by accident.  We were just in the processing of renovating our house and I had just had my first son Jacob.  We had got our new range in that day and of course I wanted to cook on it.  We were having two steaks and salad and of course I had nothing to cook it with- so my husband Richard went down to the barn and brought up some of the cold pressed oil that he grew and we used it that night.  It was the smell that first got me first, and it didn’t burn.  The rest is history!

Who is your food inspiration?
Northern Ireland is such an inspiration in the last number of years – the amount of small producers that are supplying amazing chefs both here at home and further afield is a credit. I think we should all be really proud of our food and how we can all promote each other’s products together.

What do you love about your job?
Every day is different between meetings, bottling, cleaning tanks, tours, taking the kids to school and running days to collect them. Attending functions to represent food for NI. Meeting ambassadors, and then going door to door to sell our products. It is mental but I love it!

What is your favourite part of the day?
Lunch time and dinner time!!

What was your best day since you started this business?
Honestly we have so many amazing days, from a customer just picking up the phone to say they have just tried a new flavour and loved it, to having William Sitwell, Master Chef Judge and Jimmy Doherty coming to our farm and awarding us the UK Best Food Producer.  We are very privileged in so many ways just to be producing and making a product that our customers love and keep on buying.

Where do your ingredients come from?
Everything is grown on our family farm.  We are a little different than others in that we only grow one single variety on one type of soil to ensure our cold pressed rapeseed oils have a milder taste and a rich golden colour.

Tell us about the people you work with?
They are great – Broighter Gold wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for all the support and help we have got from family and friends to now having full time paid staff!! I work very closely with my husband and our small team, we have four in total and then part time staff to cover fairs and events.  Never seen the day I would be saying that I work in the old pig sty, my stable, and the old milking parlour!! We converted all these buildings so our pressing room, shop and offices now take over.  We a compact area that we all get along very nicely!

What three words would you use to describe yourself/your business?
Myself, Happy, Content, Ambitious… My Business, Quality, Honest, Different.

What do you think is the key to success?
Being honest, and passionate about what you are making.  If you don’t love your product no one else will! Be who you are and your customers will appreciate you more.  We are just a small family business who enjoys creating quality food, and we don’t have to fool people in any other way.  Taste and Quality will always come through!

Has there ever been one single moment which has changed how you look at your business?
Yes! I have learned who to share things with and perhaps hold my cards closer to my chest…. Say no more!

Has there ever been a situation which started out as a negative but turned out for the best?
We come up against challenges every day, but I’ve always had the can do attitude that things can and will get done.  You just have to overcome everything that is put in your way otherwise we wouldn’t get anywhere in life!

 

 

Meere’s Pork Products entered Blas na hEireann for the very first time in 2015 and had the great success of reaching the finals in two very tough categories, Black & White Puddings, taking home a silver award for their Square Black Pudding. You can find out more about this Co. Clare family of producers on www.meeresporkproducts.com or to find out more about these and other winners and finalists you might like to view our 2015 directory

The Meeres family story in Orlaigh’s words…

Once upon a time,  there were two brothers, Patrick & Oliver. They opened their first butcher shop together on June 6th 1975.Patrick had a keen interest in making homemade pudding and sausages which grew into a very successful seller on the butcher counter. Space got tight, so Patrick decided to build a self contained purpose built unit  in Quin, his home. Over 40 years later both business are running successfully along with the two  brothers still very much at the helm. Patrick is my dad:)

I was born the year after it all began, 1976, so you could say ,I was born into it. The unit dad built is alongside the family home. Family life ran hand in hand with the business, no such thing as not having a job. My first job was learning to pack puddings, it was idea for me as I had small hands and could easily get them into the small vac bags. The years flew by along with the business, children grew up , grand children appeared and fresh ideas were born.

The big change came for the pudding when I joined food academy with SuperValu. A new marketing plan was put in place, a fresh new pack was developed, but the pudding stayed the same. We entered our first competition last year, at the ripe age of 40. It was a phenomenal success. Three generations of Meeres attended Blas last year, ranging from ages 74 to 4. A great time was had by all.

The Wild Irish Foragers & Preservers won Best New Product, sponsored by Invest NI, at the 2015 Blas na hEireann Awards for their Honeysuckle Shrub which also took home a Gold. They are a 5th generation family farm in Co.Offaly.

In Sharon’s own words “it is small, the gates might not hang perfectly, the hedgerows are pretty wild, and grass grows in the middle of the lanes, unusual wild flowers spring up hither & thither as they wish to. We have an old reliable Leyland, 5 kids & a love for our patch of Ireland. My sons, my husband, my father in law, his father & his father before him have all walked this land, cared for it, loved it & struggled to make a living but they have all have strived to keep it in good stead for the next generation.”

In 2013 Sharon & Gordon’s food business was born and their syrups, sauces, fruit cheeses, jellies, pontack & shrubs are available in a number of outlets nationwide, as well as food events and markets. You can find out more on www.wildirishforagers.ie or to find out more about these and other winners and finalists you might like to view our 2015 directory

When & why did you start your business?
We started the business in 2014. We never actually sat down & said “let’s start a business”. We just had been making Syrups at home for personal use for years & had progressed to a local Famers Market once a week & I guess we followed the business from there. I know it may sound a bit loony but it kind of started itself!

Who is your food inspiration?
Kit O Ceirin is the first name that springs to mind. Kit & her husband Cyril were at the forefront of modern day foraging & she has been as huge help & inspiration to us. Other supports & inspirations that spring to mind would be JP McMahon and John Whelan

What do you love about your job?
The changing seasons, the meeting new people, the chance to work as a family, the knowledge that what we are doing is working towards being able to preserve the natural wild beauty of the farm & hand it on to the next generation in good stead

What is your typical day?
With a family of 7 the housework comes first! Most days during foraging seasons Gordon will be down the lanes picking & our afternoons will be spent processing the wild bounty i.e. topping & tailing etc. As the majority of our products have a long making process we do our prep the evening before to be ready for making the following day. In between all of this there will be phone calls, orders to get out, labelling to be done, the dreaded paperwork to be handled & hopefully some shut eye!!

What is your favourite part of the day?
Ahhh that’s the easiest one to answer. ..We usually start a day with a to do list & the after evening meal ritual of ticking all the done things off the list is a great feeling. During the drier months though it is lovely to take a summers evening walk down the lanes with the forager & enjoy the peace.

What was your best day since you started this business?
There have been so so many wonderful days since we started. We have won so many fantastic awards from Blas na hEireann, All Ireland Farmers Market, Taste of Cavan, McKennas Guides & so on. We have done a few TV slots & been in print in National newspapers a few times but the BEST day happens again & again when we see our daughters working away on our stand at various festivals around the country chatting to customers & having fun together or our son heading off with his buckets to pick whatever is in season & singing at the top of his voice in a hedge or the evenings they all spend at home with us chatting & laughing whilst the top & tail all sat around the kitchen table

Where do your ingredients come from?
We handpick all our raw ingredients from the meadows, hedgerows, woodlands & boglands on & around our farm

Tell us about the people you work with?
Ahhh those people are my husband Gordon (Head Honcho & Chief Forager), our daughters Emily & Jane & our son Stuart. The other two boys Norton & Jordan help out when they are home. Even my mother in law June who is now in her 80’s has been known to pluck a few Dandelion petals too!!. Gordon is The Main Forager along with Stuart. The girls do some of the Foraging too but the lads think they are better at it!! Emily with her long curly hair tends to spend most of her foraging days trapped by some bramble & yelling for her brother to free her!!!

Emily & Jane will do most of the labelling etc whilst enjoying some sister bonding time. Jane is 22 & Emily is 15 so Jane loves this time with her to fish out all the information on school, boys etc.

What three words would you use to describe yourself/your business?
Traditional, Family-run, Farmbased

What do you think is the key to success?
I think the key to success is a very personal matter. Everyone measures success differently. I see success as balance. Being able to have a good quality of life balancing work & personal life & striving to be content & happy

Has there ever been one single moment which has changed how you look at your business?
I guess it must be when we realised that the little stand at the local Famers Market could actually grow into a business that could sustain us & save the farm. The business means a lot to us & give us the opportunity to work with the farm as opposed to on it!!
Has there ever been a situation which started out as a negative but turned out for the best?
When we started this business my father in law really couldn’t see what or why we were doing it. He couldn’t grasp the concept of farming by allowing nature to dictate. To be honest he thought we were crazy. However, he gave us his support & now at 84 years of age he has found a reawakened appreciation of the wild on his farm that had been beaten down & pushed aside by so many years of farming the expected & conventional way. It is so lovely to have him point out good foraging spots on the farm to us.

Marie from The Sea Gardener won a Blas na hEireann award in 2015 for her Mushroom & Olive Caponata, bring a bronze home to Waterford. You can find out more on www.theseagardener.ie or to find out more about this and other winners and finalists from 2015 you might like to view our 2015 directory

When & why did you start your business?
It evolved from my interest in wildlife and rocky shore ecology. I became a seaweed forager and after a few years wrote a book in response to requests for recipes/ info, then started making seaweed-based healthy snack bars and caponata etc. in response to positive feedback at foraging events & talks! So the business grew from my hobby. I’d like to hold on to that combination!

Who is your food inspiration?
Originally my mother. I grew up on a farm, with our own milk, eggs, meat, fruit and veg, home baking, always picked wild mushrooms and blackberries. My mother regarded sliced bread with derision! Now appreciate how good all that was.

What do you love about your job?
Learning something new every week. I love doing forages, meeting people from all over the country, exploring new places, during spring & summer.

What is your typical week?
Baking / Making for half the week, then delivering, doing tastings and the myriad tasks – shopping, admin, social media, planning …..

What is your favourite part of the day?
I like lunchtime – sit down for a few mins hopefully satisfied with some work completed for the day and a sense that the rest will get done!!

What was your best day since you started this business?
Last September, I got an email from a customer – a cyclist who takes my bars on his trips and was totally positive about them, giving specific reasons why. He “got” the reasons why I make the bars and that was very gratifying.

I love every day I’m on a beach foraging and have met the nicest of people doing that over the years. It’s a very energising place to be and there’s a high level of appreciation and enjoyment from the people who come along.

Tell us about the people you work with?
My family – husband and 2 adult children  – help me mostly. They are brilliant with practical help, feedback, sounding boards….

What three words would you use to describe yourself/your business?
Innovative, Passionate (wish I could think of a better word as it’s a bit hackneyed at this stage!) and diligent.

What do you think is the key to success?
If you mean financial, I don’t know….yet:-)) In the broader sense, success has to be when you’re doing something you love.

Has there ever been one single moment which has changed how you look at your business?
Yes – the day I sold the last of my books  – The Sea Garden – after just 10 months, and had to do another print run! Exceeded expectations.

 

Bainne Codladh were the winners of Best Artisan at the 2015 Blas na hEireann Awards for their Lullaby Milk. You can find out more about Lullaby Milk and how it can help with a good nights sleep on www.lullabymilk.com or to find out more about this and other winners and finalists from 2015 you might like to view our 2015 directory

When & why did you start your business?
2005, discovered a 100% natural wholesome product which aids people with sleep disorders.

What do you love about your job?
I love when mothers ring saying how their children cannot sleep without Lullaby Milk

What is your typical day?
Lullaby Milk day… Milk the cows before day break; bring the milk into North Cork for bottling by 6am, return at 7am to continue working on the farm until 10, then a few hours in the office before returning to the farm at 3 to milk and finish remainder of farm tasks. Usually reply to customers on returning home via e-mail or Facebook.

What is your favourite part of the day?
Seeing Lullaby being packed in North Cork Co-op

What was your best day since you started this business?
Winning Best Artisan at Blas na hEireann food awards in October

Where do your ingredients come from?
100% natural cows milk

Tell us about the people you work with?
Hard working, honest very dedicated to the job

What three words would you use to describe yourself/your business?
Natural, honest, wholesome

What do you think is the key to success?
Do less, better

Has there ever been one single moment which has changed how you look at your business?
Plenty!

Has there ever been a situation which started out as a negative but turned out for the best?
A customer once rang from Dublin on a June bank holiday weekend saying she could not get Lullaby milk and her long weekend would be ruined without it. She was willing to drive to Cork even! Luckily we were able to get the milk up to her on a truck and she met the driver that night to collect.

 

Tracy Desmond from Trace of Cakes took home a bronze Blas na hEireann award in 2015 for her Chocolate Biscuit Cake Pieces. You can find out more on www.traceofcakes.ie or to find out more more details on this and our other winners and finalists in our 2015 directory

When & why did you start your business?
I started my business just 3 yrs ago. I was a stay at home mum of 3 wonderful children. I had baked a decorated a birthday cake for my partner Kevin at the time, this was my first attempt, and it turned out pretty good. From that moment, my life completely changed. Kevin paid for all of my many courses, bought me my first mixer and tools required, and it all went from there. We converted our garage here at home, so I could work day and night. My family were a huge help to me, in every way. And before I knew it, my business had started. Word quickly spread, and within 3 yrs I find myself some weeks unable to cope with the orders and interest in what I do. Within the last year, I have received my very proud Blas na hEireann award for my favourite chocolate biscuit cake. And also caught the eye of Lisa Cannon from TV3’s Xposé , in which I got the amazing opportunity to travel (with her wedding cake) all the way to Italy. It has opened huge doors for me, and now I’m making cakes for Neil Prendeville on occasion. As well as a great review from chef Kevin Dundon and Rachel Allen. The sky is the limit!

Who is your food inspiration?
My food inspiration has to be all of my great ‘caker’ friends around Ireland. They are a great support to me. The talent for baking and Sugarcraft here in Ireland is 5 star. And they rarely get the acknowledgement they truly deserve. But Ron Ben-Israel is one of the greats! But I also have such fond memories baking with my Dad when I was young. The typical ‘licking the spoon’ of cake batter, is definitely the most enjoyable. Both Mum and Dad are very hard workers, but always find time to make the most beautiful food and desserts. I get my drive from them absolutely.

What do you love about your job?
Every single part really. I work 24 hrs a day practically! Some nights I am still working until 5am, finishing wedding cakes and orders but the pleasure of seeing someone’s face light up when they come to collect cakes is priceless. It’s such a great feeling to get that reaction from someone, when knowing I created the piece from scratch with my own two hands.

What is your typical day?
A typical day starts for me at 10 am. But most days, I can be found still decorating and baking away until the early hours

What was your best day since you started this business?
My best day was on September 4th last year, when I was with Lisa Cannon and Richard Keatley when they finally saw the finished cake I had made for their wedding in Florence. It was a great journey for me and Kevin (my now fiancé). We drove the whole way to Florence with the cake. It was a fabulous drive, right through France, Switzerland, Germany and Italy, stopping off at all of the great sights on the way. But the surroundings of the Castello De Vincigliatta in the hills of Florence, where the wedding was held, was definitely the most enjoyable part. Lisa and I have become great friends since, and I’m sure I will be making cakes for her for every occasion from now on 🙂

What three words would you use to describe yourself/your business?
Passionate, hard working, artistic

What do you think is the key to success?
The key to success is without doubt having to be willing to work the very long hours and to enjoy it. Taste is a huge part, so playing around with new flavours, and not stopping until it’s the best. Taking on board customers needs, and appreciating every day at such a wonderful job. Well, I don’t call it a job, it’s more of a ‘love’ really.

Has there ever been one single moment which has changed how you look at your business?
The moment I received an award for the taste of my product had to be a turning point for my business, it was such an incredible feeling, and has driven me to achieve even better in 2016

Myself and Kevin are getting married this year. He is certainly my rock, he helps me in every way, baking, mixing, cleaning and accepting my ridiculous working hours. In fact, he never goes to bed until I finish, no matter what time in the morning. He’s there with me 100%. And if course, my family, mum, dad and sisters Carol and Deirdre. Without them, my business would not be functioning at all. I’m a very lucky girl.

I will of course be making my own wedding cake, and delivering it too. I know it will have to be spectacular. The pressure is on, and there is already huge interest as to how it is going to look. I really can’t wait to start it. Kevin is going to help me bake it and I might leave him decorate just a very small piece of it!

 

 

Avril Allshire-Howe from Caherbeg Free Range Pork and Rosscarbery Recipes first won at Blas na hEireann in 2012 and her family business has achieved a place on the winners list every year since then. You can find more details on http://rosscarberyrecipes.blogspot.ie/ or more details on this and our other winners and finalists in our 2015 directory

When & why did you start your business?
The when is easy, 2000, but the why is a story in itself. Willie’s background is business and specifically, printing and stationery, but he always had a grá for the land and we bought our smallholding (<20 acres) because it was small and came with a small house, which was intended for holidays, weekends and retirement! By the way, my family were farming, but I was the person least likely to have anything to do with farming and worked in administration in Cork city (everything from shipping to a funeral home to an oil exploration company & 3 pharmaceutical plants etc). Purchased in 1994, we stayed in Caherbeg for our honeymoon and essentially never again lived in Cork city. Most of the land was leased to a neighbour for the first couple of years, but it was more trouble than it was worth to him, so he didn’t renew in 1997. I suggested that we get 1-2 pigs to keep the weeds down in some of it at least and this was all Willie needed to hear. Within 3 months we had reared 20 free range outdoor pigs from weaner to maturity, and when they were ready, Willie began wholesaling the pork. That was fine, but then I wanted to grow blueberries in the bog and between 1 thing and another, Willie did a Rural Development course with Teagasc locally. At this stage, pigs etc were still very much a hobby, as Willie worked in business fulltime. He arrived home one day in June 2000 and informed me that we would be making free range sausages and dry cure rashers. I thought it was a joke but he was dead serious and in November 2000, he had Caherbeg Free Range Pork Ltd registered; and an on-farm processing unit ready to go. In 2001, we took on another brand, Rosscarbery Recipes, and the difference is that we use locally produced Irish pork for the range. It is not free range. This brand has grown to include international and national award winning black and white pudding; and in October, 2016, the range expanded to Gluten Free Black and White Pudding. Our business development really has been very opportunistic and because of passion rather than hard headed business plans, but it’s our business and we are involved in all aspects.

Who is your food inspiration?
Oh dear, that is such an incredibly difficult question because we’re been inspired by people like Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall; John & Sally McKenna; the Black and White Pudding Fraternity members in France who will talk about black and white pudding from morning until night; the other artisan producers across Ireland who we respect as they share our values of honesty, integrity and passion for what they do; and of course chefs and consumers who encourage us to maintain our standards.

What do you love about your job?
Another hard question, but the fact that even though it can be incredibly difficult working with family – husband, Willie, sons, William and Maurice – and none of us exactly the shy retiring types, there’s also the satisfaction when we see product on the shelves; used in recipes; recommended by enthusiasts etc, there’s the confidence that I’ve been involved in making everything and I know the process start to finish. More importantly, that Willie and I have two sons who are as interested and passionate about what we do as we are.

What is your typical day?
I really don’t have a typical day. There’s a routine of manufacture, deliveries, instore tastings, office work but no two days is the same. That suits me to the ground as I’ve a low boredom threshold and I love the variety of making products; delivering them and meeting our customers along the way. Time wise, I could start work anywhere between 4.30am and 8am depending on the day and what we’re doing. On my off time, I really enjoy nothing more than sitting surrounded by a few of my cookbooks which inspire me to experiment with our products, although not all get the thumbs up from the rest of the family by any manner or means.

What is your favourite part of the day?
Probably when I’ve been out and about and I come home knowing that I couldn’t have done anything more in the day and I’ve done my very best by our business and our family.

What was your best day since you started this business?
If I can be so bold as to name 3:
a. Getting the post just before Christmas 1998, and finding that John & Sally McKenna had mentioned us in the Bridgestone Good Food Guide. I confess we didn’t even know who John & Sally were at the time, but couldn’t believe that someone thought we were good enough to include us.
b. On reflection, there have been a few best days: watching Willie accept the Gold Medal for Black Pudding in the biggest European Black Pudding competition in March 2007, just 3 months after launching, and knowing he was the very first Irish person to receive any award.
c. Standing at the back of the function room in Benners Hotel in October 2012, watching the awards being presented, and realising that we had won Gold when Artie Clifford had to repeat the announcement. I was on a high.

Where do your ingredients come from?
The Caherbeg Free Range Pork range uses meat from our own herd of free range outdoor pigs (all outdoors, all year round); and Rosscarbery from locally purchased Irish pork.

Tell us about the people you work with?
Willie, husband, M.D. etc is the driving force behind our business; William, eldest son, did his Leaving Cert in June 2014 and has worked with us full-time since. In 2014, he represented the company doing the SuperValu Food Academy course including the presentation, which was no mean achievement for a then 18 year old; currently he is the youngest participant in the part-time Diploma in Speciality Food Production in U.C.C. He and Willie worked together to develop the Gluten Free Pudding recipes. Maurice who is currently studying for his Leaving Cert had the idea for the sleeve packaging for the gluten free pudding. He too plans to get involved in the business in due course. Both lads are very interested in nutrition and health as they are both involved in crossfit and this relates well to what we’re doing in our business focused on producing high quality food. They are taking up the mantle to drive on the business knowing that this is our pension and their potential livelihood although we haven’t forced them to become involved. They’ve always been with us and have helped as far as they were able; now of course they are nearly adults and are well able to take responsibility but also to discuss what direction we should take into the future. There are four in the family and agreement isn’t always a given with everyone having an opinion so discussion can be hot and heavy at times, but that’s part of our dynamic. Lukas is Czech and has worked with us since he arrived in Ireland in 2008 while Rosemary is married to a local farmer and works with us on a part-time basis.

What three words would you use to describe yourself/your business: integrity, quality and passionate.

Has there ever been a situation which started out as a negative but turned out for the best?
The Pork Crisis in December 2009, was a complete disaster as we had just that week cured all our ham for Christmas. It was very frightening as we didn’t know how long before all our records would be checked but it turned out to be an incredible opportunity as for the first time, the public understood why we maintained two brands and that we had no problem identifying the meat source for each. We did lose some of the pork we had purchased from the local factory as it had originated in contaminated herds, but it was a confidence booster in the long-term as we were able to identify all the relevant meat from our records and this was verified by the FSAI representative. Our HACCP system works and we can go 1 step back and 1 step forwards. I have to say though that I really wouldn’t want to see this recur

Mag Kirwan and her husband Ger are at the centre of the Goatsbridge story. They live on the farm with their family and work together to carry on the proud tradition of purity and sustainability. Each daily catch comes directly from the crystal clear Irish waters of The Little Arrigle and their Smoked Trout Pate was a Gold winner at the 2015 Blas na hEireann awards. You can find their delicious products in major supermarkets around Ireland, specialist shops or even in their own online store.

You can find more details on www.goatsbridgetrout.ie or more details on this and our other winners and finalists in our 2015 directory

When & why did you start your business? Established in 1964
Who is your food inspiration?  Pat Whelan and Darina Allen
What do you love about your job? Everything! I do not work as my job is a way of living.
What is your favourite part of the day?  Evening when everyone leaves the office and I can get some real work done .

What was your best day since you started this business?  The day we launched Ireland’s first Trout caviar in the Irish market. We trended on twitter, featured in every newspaper and even made the main RTE news.

Where do your ingredients come from?  We produce our fantastic rainbow trout on site

Tell us about the people you work with?  They all have the Goatsbridge Bug. We are building a future for every employee and it is certainly a team effort. We believe it is all about people and encourage all employees to up-skill themselves.

What three words would you use to describe yourself/your business? Dynamic, innovative, sustainable .

What do you think is the key to success? It all starts with the product and people .

Has there ever been one single moment which has changed how you look at your business?  Yes the day I stood beside our fish ponds having had trout for lunch and asked my fiancée why he was not telling his story. I could see it all very clearly that day and 25 years later we continue to work together to build our dream of making Eat Trout a mainstay on every menu and in every household .

Has there ever been a situation which started out as a negative but turned out for the best? I believe there is a reason for everything and we are turning a negative situation into a positive as we speak. Sometimes a negative issues forces a change that should happen regardless.