Beara Seafoods scoops Seafood Innovation Award
A West Cork seafood company is the 2014 winner of the Seafood Innovation Award which was presented at the recent Blas na hÉireann National Irish Food Awards. Beara Seafoods also received silver in the prepared shellfish category for the ‘innovative pre-packed mussel bites’, according to sponsors, BIM.
Paul Ward (BIM); Ger, Helen and Marian Lynch (Beara Seafoods); Katie Healy and Aileen Deasy (BIM)
The sustainably grown Irish rope mussels are removed from their shells, flavoured with garlic and rolled in multigrain crumb and can be freezer stored for up to eight months.
“Battling the recession has been difficult for all companies – and the mussel industry is no different. I knew there was an opportunity for us to add value to our mussels and to develop a product that could demand a higher price on the market,” explained Ger Lynch, fifth generation fisherman and company managing director.
Their product is available in main restaurants, retailer and SuperValu stores in the Munster area.
“The Blas na nÉireann National Irish Food Awards are an important and prestigious event in the calendar and the standards are exceptionally high. We’re delighted that seafood has become such an important part of the awards and the success for seafoood this year is testament to the quality of Irish seafood and the creativity and resilience of the industry,” remarked Donal Buckley, BIM’s Business Development & Innovation Director.
Irish seafood products were showcased for their taste, innovation and quality; another eight companies scooped twelve awards:
Ready Meals & Prepared Cold Food Cagegory
Silver Darling’s: (silver) – pimento herring product
Cold Smoked Category
Kerryfish: gold medal – Quinlan’s Smoked Irish Salmon
Dunn’s of Dublin: (silver) – Supervalu Signature Tastes Applewood Smoked Salmon
Willam Carr & Sons: (bronze) – Aldi Specially Selected Irish Organic Salmon
Hot Smoked Category
East Coast Seafoods: (gold) – Hot Smoked Salmon
Galway Bay Seafoods: (silver & bronze) – Barbequed Smoked Salmon & Hot Peppered Smoked Mackerel Fillets
Prepared Fish Category
Keohane Seafoods: (gold) – Terrifically Tasty Cajun Salmon Darnes
The Good Fish Company: (silver) – Mr Goods Fabulous Fish – Amazin Cajun Spiced Salmon Supreme
Keohane Seafoods: (bronze) – Whole Salmon Fillet with Dill & Lemon
Prepared Shellfish Category
Kerry Fish: (gold) – Quinlan’s Fresh Irish Crab Meat
Beara Seafoods (silver) – Mussel Bites
William Carr & Sons (bronze) – Dublin Bay Prawn Cocktail
