A taste of the best food in the land

THE best quality lamb to be found anywhere in the country comes from right here in West Kerry, according butcher Jerry Kennedy and he should know having won gold and silver at this year’s Blas na hÉireann food awards.

Jerry won the overall Rogha na Gaeltachta award, along with a highly prized Blas Gold Medal for his Herbed Rack of Dingle Peninsula Lamb and a Silver Medal for his Lamb Lollypop Chops and he gives a lot of credit for this success to Seamus Ó Ciobháin from An Ghráig who supplied the lamb.

“It’s all about local produce and we have the best of it here in West Kerry. You couldn’t find better lamb than what comes out of Seamus’ farm,” he said.

Jerry’s success with Kerry lamb was matched by Quinlan’s Kerry Fish who won the Blas Best in County Award as well as Gold Medals for their Fresh Kerry Crab and Organic Smoked Salmon and Silver for the Kenmare Smoked Salmon.

Dingle Goats Cheese was another local success, winning a Gold Medal in the Goat’s Cheese awards category and Dick’s Mack’s Brewhouse added to the local tally, winning Gold for Dick Mack’s Brewhouse Coffee Stout, which was developed in conjunction with their neighbours in Bean in Dingle. Dingle Distillery was also among the award winners with a Silver Medal for their Dingle Pot Still Vodka.

Other Kerry winners were O’Sullivan’s Bakery who won Gold for their wholemeal bread, Silver for their brown sliced bread and Bronze for their packaged white bread. Larkin’s Bakery won Gold for the Spelt Tea Brack and in another success for the baking trade in Kerry, Wellness Baking in Listowel won Gold for their Gluten Free Brownies.

Casey’s were also among the Kerry winners as were Camos Artisan Food Ltd who the Best in Farmers Market award.

Jerry Kennedy (centre) in his shop in Orchard Lane, Dingle, with Seamus Á Ciobháin from An Ghráig who supplies lamb and butcher John Riordan, along with the Blas na hÉireann Gold, Silver and Rogha na Gaeltachta awards they won at the weekend.

Photos by Declan Malone RIGHT: Sean O’Flaherty, Paul Devane, Deividas Uosis, Mikey Boland and Darragh O’Sullivan on the Dingle GAA stall on Main Street where they served 500 burgers over the food festival weekend. The lads said GAA members sold 600 fishcakes at another stall back the Quay.