Atlantic Way Food Initiative presents

Féasta Bia Awards!

Mr. Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine officially announced the winners of the 2011 Féasta Bia awards as part of the inaugural Atlantic Way Food Initiative events, which recently celebrated & showcased the richness and variety of artisan food in the Atlantic Way Region all along the West coast of Ireland. The Féasta Bia Food Ambassador of the Year Award 2011 was proudly bestowed to Cáit Curran, while the winner of The Féasta Bia Restaurant of the Year Award 2011 was presented to The White Sage Restaurant Adare, Co. Limerick. Sponsored by Tourism Ireland and an Bord Bia, the prestigious awards provide a platform to acknowledge and increase the profile of the finest regional producers and suppliers in the Atlantic Way region.

Commenting on the Féasta Bia Award Ceremony, The Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine Mr. Simon Coveney TD stated “This is a wonderful initiative that recognises the forward thinking of local food producers supported by the overall vision of the Atlantic Way Food Initiative. Local food production  generates a huge contribution to local communities economically and culturally. Initiatives like the Atlantic Way Food Initiative Féasta Bia Awards bring together local communities, businesses and food producers for the greater good of the area and growth of indigenous industries. Recognising local food producers in this way is hugely important to developing Ireland’s strengths in food tourism and the experience of visitors and tourists alike.

“Atlantic Way continues to push ahead in developing and continuing the ethos of the community and acknowledging the participation of food producers through events such as today’s award ceremony. The overall ethos of the Atlantic Way Food Initiative is to continue working for the benefit of the region, in partnership and collaboration on a holistic basis with all of the various stakeholders including the Irish Hotels Federation, agencies including Bord Bia, Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland and Departments” stated Mr. Brian O’ Connell, Chairperson of the Atlantic Way.

Awareness campaigns like ‘Féasta Bia’ are the stepping stones in penetrating the key messages of the Atlantic Way Food Initiative. By focusing on growth in the region, the Atlantic Way target is a 20% increase in the production and consumption of local food, increasing employment in the sector to 5000 jobs and an additional 100,000 tourists for the region by 2020.

The hand crafted awards presented to the winners signifies the richness of the West Coast region. Joe O’ Shea of Banner Bog Oak, crafted the one-off pieces for this occasion made using rare wood with the Bog Oak carbon dated at 5,000 years old!