FDBusiness.com

Irish chicken producer Manor Farm has won the IFSA (Irish Foodservice Suppliers Alliance) Best Sustainable Food Product Award 2020. Manor Farm, received the award for the company’s ‘Farmers to Market’ Free-Range Chicken Thigh Burgers. Farmers to Market is open to producers and suppliers with food products produced in a manner that simultaneously protects and enhances the natural environment and the local community.

Matthew O’Gorman of Manor Farm, said: “We are delighted to have won the Best Sustainable Food Product Award this year. We have been working alongside Farmers to Market to ensure the best quality product was produced without compromising on our sustainability goals. We are incredibly proud to have our efforts recognised at the ISFA’s, it motivates us to continue to strive to have the best quality poultry on the Irish market.”

The theme of this year’s IFSA’s was ‘Innovation for a sustainable future’ which recognises the industry’s efforts to tackle the very real environmental issue that is climate change. The categories for the awards are designed to celebrate excellence and innovation across all food sectors from beverages to catering equipment.

A ‘Dragon’s Den’ style panel was put together to judge the shortlisted entries, which involved a presentation of the finalists’ sustainability products and services. The panel of judges included Maurice Bergin, Managing Director of the Green Hospitality Programme; Brian Walsh, Packaging Technologist for Repak; and Tony McGuigan, Head of Procurement and F&B Projects for Dalata Hotel Group.

The Judges commented on Manor Farm’s ‘Farmers to Market’ Free-Range Chicken Thigh Burgers: “The winner took a well-known food material and re-imagined it whilst working closely with their own suppliers in a strong and environmentally friendly manner with a very strong community support.  The simple chicken thigh has a new life.”

Manor Farm have been the processing partner for Farmers to Market since its establishment in 1991. The Bord Bia quality assured free-range chickens are of the utmost importance to Manor Farm in producing the highest quality product possible. Manor Farm pride themselves on setting an example in the poultry industry with its supply chain checked and verified by independent sources.

Farmers to Market co-founder Charles Smith said: “Following our listing with Dalata last year, we are delighted Manor Farm have received this accolade from IFSA. The alignment of standards and quality in sustainable food production are essential ingredients for Farmers to Market when forming partnerships and this award to Manor Farm acknowledges the mutual benefit to our business and future opportunities in foodservice.”

Manor Farm’s ‘Farmers to Market’ Free-Range Chicken Thigh Burgers are listed on bar menus in Maldron and Clayton hotels across the island of Ireland, as part of the foodservice business listing with Dalata, Ireland’s largest hotel operator.

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Pictured (L-R): Matthew O’Gorman, Manor Farm; Maurice Bergin, MD, Green Hospitality Programme and panel judge; with Charles Smith, Co-founder, Farmers to Market.