WEXFORD’S FOOD sector is enjoying a thriving time, having been showered upon with a plethora of 2016 Blás na hÉireann awards recently.

The impressive haul signaled that from north to south and east to west of the county, artisan and larger-scale food enterprises are experiencing success.

This was the ninth year of the awards, which are recognised as the biggest annual competition for quality Irish produce across the island of Ireland.

Over 2,500 products were entered in 100 food and drink categories in this year’s competition.

The awards celebrate the very best of Irish produce and the passionate, driven individuals behind enterprises.

Winners are chosen based solely on the taste of their produce, as a result of blind tastings by a team of Ireland’s top food experts.

Camolin-based Irish Country Meats picked up the ‘Best in Wexford’ award, as well as a bronze medal for their Aldi’s Specially Selected Premium Lamb Rack in an Oven Cook Bag.

Ireland’s only commercial nettle farmers, Fiona and Malcolm Falconer of WildAbout, based at Monamolin, meanwhile picked up the distinguished ‘Best in Farmers Market’ accolade as well as a gold award for their Raspberry Chilli Chutney.

The couple grow all the ingredients they use close to their home in the north of the county and employ locally.

Demand for the business’ products is constantly greater than what it can supply.

“Our market stall is integral to everything we do,” Ms. Falconer said, adding “it gives us a one-to-one with the customer.”

WildAbout practices permaculture, a farming method which goes further than organics, and the passionate art college graduate told this newspaper that her business was on a mission to “get people thinking about how their food is made.”

“This thing that all roads lead to the city isn’t necessarily the right template,” Ms. Falconer said.

The food sector in Ireland, she believes, “needs people to think outside the box.

“We can make exceptionally high-quality artisan food and sell it to the rest of the world with pride,” she said with passion.

Another passionate Wexford food producer, baker Carmel Moran, picked up a gold award for her granola in her first ever competition.

“We were very lucky. We had two products in the finals, our Pecan and Dark Chocolate Granola and, of course, our gold winner, Hazelnut and Raisin Granola.

“I’m looking at the shiny gold labels here and still pinching myself,” she said of her achievement.

“Wexford was really well represented at the Blas Awards this year. We had finalists and winners in lots of categories.

“Amazingly, in the granola category, Oat Couture took the gold award and another well-known Wexford company, Staple Diet, took the silver award.

“We must be big on breakfasts here in the south-east,” Ms. Moran said.

Read more in the Wexford Echo.