Joyce and Robert Chambers, from Castlemitchell, Co Kildare, were awarded the Guinness Perpetual Cup at an awards ceremony last week.

The awards, organised by Boortmalt and hosted by Diageo, acknowledge excellence in malting barley production and promote sustainability in the supply chain. The Malting Barley Excellence awards bring together the best growers from the five barley supply regions, plus the best seed producers.

Commenting after the announcement, Robert Chambers said: “We are delighted to be taking this Guinness Perpetual Cup to Kildare. I am a third-generation barley grower and we work hard to grow good barley of excellent quality to be part of this great brewing tradition.”

This year the mother and son team came out on top of more than 600 growers.

Finalists

Other finalists included; Andrew Byrne, Enniscorthy; Willie Fitzpatrick, Bunclody; Vivian Tubritt, Saltmills; and John Rowe, Hilltown, from the Wexford/New Ross region.

Carlow was represented by Tony Pender, Milford and Danny Delaney, Cullahill.

John Conroy, Mountmellick, and Patrick Keegan Jnr, Rathleague, Portlaoise, were there from the Laois area, while the Kildare contingent included Joyce and Robert Chambers and Nicholas Brennan from Barrowhouse.

The seed growers representatives included the Brennan brothers from Laois and Charlie Walsh from Ferns.

Presenting the award, Andrew Doyle, Minister of State for Food, Forestry and Horticulture, said: “Ireland’s agricultural industry is at the heart of some of our most well-known and respected exports and this is especially true when it comes to barley production and Guinness. This is helped by access to the best-quality ingredients produced by growers, such as those present on the day, who produce barley with incredible skill and dedication.”

Boortmalt’s Group COO, Peter Nallen, added: “Our malting barley growers have always shown their commitment to quality and these awards acknowledge the best of the best. Our ambition is to, over time, bring more of our growers to this elite standard.”