Irish Country Living food editor Janine Kennedy was among the winners at the Irish Food Writing Awards, held at O’Reilly Hall in UCD on Thursday 22 October.
The Canadian native, who now lives in Co Tipperary, won the Irish Food or Drink Podcast Award for Food Island, which celebrates Ireland’s food culture and the people behind it.
The Irish Farmers Journal podcast, made in collaboration with the UCD Earth Institute, is a limited six-part podcast series exploring the past, present, and future of Irish food, farming cultures, and gastronomy.
Janine’s award was judged by broadcaster Nigel Barden and sponsored by Sharon Noonan.
Now in their sixth year, the Irish Food Writing Awards were founded by food writer and broadcaster Suzanne Campbell to recognise excellence in food writing, broadcasting, podcasting, social media and photography.
Poignant evening
This year’s ceremony celebrated both established and emerging talent, with a particularly strong showing from writers of international backgrounds, who have made Ireland their home.
It was also a poignant evening, with the late Irish Times journalist Corinna Hardgrave posthumously receiving the Food Writing Award. Her husband Steve accepted the award on her behalf.
Other winners included Sylvia Thompson of The Irish Times, who received the Writing on Irish Food Producers Award, and Paula McIntyre of the Belfast Telegraph, who won the Cookery Writing Award.
Connemara native and former Irish Food Writers’ Guild chair Máirín Uí Chomáin was honoured with the Outstanding Achievement Award.