The Checkout Best in Fresh Awards, Ireland’s industry awards for fresh food retailing now in its 13th year, took place in Dublin’s InterContinental Hotel, on Tuesday 16 July, 2019.
The event, hosted by ESM's sister publication - Checkout, welcomed more than 200 of Ireland’s top retailers to a three-course lunch and a host of networking opportunities.
Best in Fresh guests ranged from retail veterans to new contenders who were picking up an award for the first time.
Ireland’s Leading Industry Awards
The Best In Fresh Awards are Ireland’s leading industry awards for fresh food retailing.
The awards celebrate the best retail suppliers, retail chains, and the individual stores that excel in fresh food retailing.
The awards are open to all retail groups and independent retailers, including multiples, symbols, discounters and non-affiliated stores.
"The standard of fresh food retailing that our judges encountered in stores throughout the country this year was outstanding," says Maev Martin, editor, Checkout magazine.
"All businesses that entered this year's Best in Fresh Awards were subjected to a comprehensive mystery shop, and those best performers that went onto the second stage of judging were visited by a team of judges who travelled the country to engage directly with stores.
"What they found was a network of stores that really wear their heart on their sleeve when it comes to fresh, and are continuing to invest in in-store innovation and new concepts to keep customers coming back. Once again, both our winners and finalists have proven that they are among the best in Ireland, as well as in Europe, when it comes to fresh food retailing."
The Big Winners
Among the big winners at this year’s event were Croughan's SuperValu Athone which took the award for Excellence in Fresh Food Retailing in a Small Supermarket.
The Excellence in Fresh Food Retailing in a Medium Supermarket award went to Garvey’s SuperValu, while the Excellence in Fresh Food Retailing in a Large Supermarket award went to Scally’s of Clonakilty.
Aldi The Glen Waterford took home the award for Excellence in Fresh Food Retailing in a Discounter Store, SuperValu won the Best Fresh Food Retail Chain and the Best in Fresh Lifetime Achievement Awards went to Joe Doyle Donnybrook Fair.
This year's finalists and winners:
Ireland’s Best Fresh Meat Offering
Finalists
Clarke’s SuperValu, Barna
Dano’s SuperValu, Mallow
Scally’s of Clonakilty
Murphy’s SuperValu, Castletownbere
O’Meara’s SuperValu, Portumna
Winner
Scally’s of Clonakilty
Ireland’s Best Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Offering
Finalists
Tarpey’s SuperValu, Cavan
Clarke’s SuperValu, Barna
Canny & Doherty SuperValu, Carndonagh
Garvey’s SuperValu, Corbally
Quish’s SuperValu, Tramore
Winner
Clarke’s SuperValu, Barna
Ireland’s Freshest Food-to-Go Offering
Finalists
Centra Westland Row
Centra Parnell Street
Quish’s SuperValu, West Village, Ballincollig
SPAR Millennium Walkway
Talty’s MACE Lissycasey
Winner
Centra Westland Row
Excellence in Fresh Food-to-Go in a Forecourt Store
Finalists
King’s Gala, Kiltale
Maxol Dublin, Road Dundalk
Lee’s Centra
Applegreen
Mangan’s Centra, Edenderry
O’Brien’s Centra Mullingar
Winner
Maxol Dublin Road, Dundalk
Ireland’s Best Fresh Fish/Seafood Offering
Finalists
Dano’s SuperValu
Mallow
Field’s SuperValu, Skibbereen
Tarpey’s SuperValu, Cavan
Kavanagh’s SuperValu, Clifden
SuperValu, Castletroy
Winner
Tarpey’s SuperValu, Cavan
Best Fruit and Vegetable Supplier
Finalists
Sam Dennigan and Company
Keogh’s Potatoes
Keelings Retail
Winner
Keelings Retail
Ireland’s Best Dairy Offering
Finalists
Joyce’s Headford
Joyce’s Knocknacarra
Quish’s SuperValu, West Village, Ballincollig
SPAR Glasthule
Croughan’s SuperValu, Athlone
Winner
Quish’s SuperValu, West Village, Ballincollig
Ireland’s Best Fresh Food Offering in a Deli Area
Finalists
Pettitt’s SuperValu, Gorey
Field’s SuperValu, Skibbereen
Joyce’s Oranmore
O’Gorman’s SuperValu, Kingscourt
Smith’s SuperValu, Navan
Winner
Joyce’s, Oranmore
Ireland’s Best Meat Supplier
Finalists
Manor Farm
Kepak
Waldron Meats
Winner
Waldron Meats
Ireland’s Best Bakery Offering Sponsored by Cuisine de France
Finalists
Kavanagh’s SuperValu
Buncrana
McCarthy’s EUROSPAR, Kilkenny
Ryan’s SuperValu, Grange
SuperValu Castletroy
Croughan’s SuperValu, Athlone
Winner
McCarthy’s EUROSPAR, Kilkenny
Most Creative Fresh Food Retail Outlet
Finalists
McCarthy’s EUROSPAR, Kilkenny
Joyce’s, Knocknacarra
SPAR, Millennium Walkway
Mulrooney’s Gala, Roscrea
Centra, Westland Row
Winner
Mulrooney’s Gala, Roscrea
Best Bakery Supplier
Finalists
Cuisine de France
Clover Hill, Food Ingredients
Golden Bake
Winner
Cuisine de France
Best Presentation of Fresh Food
Finalists
Centra Parnell Street
Ryan’s SuperValu, Glanmire
Dano’s SuperValu, Mallow
Scally’s of Clonakilty
Tarpey’s SuperValu, Cavan
Winner
Dano’s SuperValu, Mallow
Excellence in Fresh Food Retailing in a Discounter Store
Finalists
Aldi Castlebar
Aldi Newlands Cross
Aldi The Glen, Waterford
Aldi Wilton
Winner
Aldi The Glen, Waterford
Best Local Champion, Sponsored by SEL
Finalists
Joyce’s Headford
Quish’s SuperValu, Tramore
MACE Cootehill
Winner
Quish’s SuperValu, Tramore
Best Seafood Supplier
Finalists
Oceanpath/Dunn’s of Dublin
Union Hall, Smoked Fish
Morgan’s Fine Fish
Winner
Oceanpath/Dunn’s of Dublin
Best Non-Affiliated Fresh Food Retailer
Finalists
Joyce’s Oranmore
JC’s Supermarket, Swords
Joyce’s Knocknacarra
Winner
JC’s Supermarket, Swords
Best Dairy Supplier, Sponsored by Gala Retail
Finalists
Aurivo Consumer Foods
Glanbia Consumer Foods Ireland
Clóna Dairy Products
Winner
Aurivo Consumer Foods
Ireland’s Best Deli Supplier
Finalists
Cremona Foods
Carroll’s of Tullamore
Horgan’s Delicatessen Supplies
Winner
Carroll’s of Tullamore
Best Customer Service
Finalists
Griffin’s Londis
KCR
Maxol Dublin Road, Dundalk
SPAR Glasthule
MACE, Cootehill
SPAR, Custom House Square
Winner
MACE Cootehill
Excellence in Fresh Food Retailing in a Convenience Store
Finalists
Cross’ Centra, Hazelmere
Griffin’s Londis, Fonthill
Scally’s Centra, Arden Road
SPAR, Millennium Walkway
SPAR, Little Island
Winner
SPAR Millennium Walkway
Excellence in Fresh Food Retailing in a Forecourt Store
Finalists
King’s Gala Ballylynan
Talty’s MACE, Lissycasey
Mulrooney’s Gala Roscrea
O’Brien’s Centra Mullingar
Daybreak Dungarvan
Winner
Talty’s MACE Lissycasey
Excellence in Fresh Food Retailing in a Small Supermarket
Finalists
Daly’s SuperValu Greystones
Croughan’s SuperValu Athlone
Leavy’s Centra, Tullamore
Scally’s Centra, Arden Road
SPAR Merrion Row
Winner
Croughan’s SuperValu Athlone
Excellence in Fresh Food
Retailing in a Medium Supermarket Sponsored by Invest Northern Ireland
Finalists
McCarthy’s EUROSPAR, Kilkenny
Joyce’s Oranmore
Garvey’s SuperValu, Corbally
O’Gorman’s SuperValu Kingscourt
Quish’s SuperValu Tramore
Winner
Garvey’s SuperValu Corbally
Excellence in Fresh Food Retailing in a Large Supermarket
Finalists
Garvey’s SuperValu,Tralee
JC’s Supermarket, Swords
McInerney’s SuperValu, Loughrea
Scally’s of Clonakilty
Smith’s SuperValu Navan
Winner
Scally’s of Clonakilty
Best Fresh Food Retail Chain
SuperValu
Lifetime Achievement Award
Joe Doyle, Donnybrook Fair
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
