2019 Award Winners NATURAL FOOD AWARD 2019

Drumanilra Farm Kitchen, Boyle, Co Roscommon

The Guide has always championed the best of Irish produce. It’s the philosophy behind our food recommendations and the Natural Food Award has emphasised this for many years, by celebrating particular establishments that create a meeting point between the best and freshest local produce and the consumer. The original aim was to recognise specifically “an individual or team, driven by a total commitment to using the very best of fresh, seasonal and mainly local foods – and preparing them simply and with style, to showcase their natural goodness and the quality produce of the locality”. The category now also includes food products, producers and retailers as well, along the lines of our regional food tourism guide Ireland for Food Lovers.

Drumanilra Farm Kitchen is just one part of a wonderful family enterprise. On their mixed 40 acre organic farm overlooking Lough Key, Liam and Justina Gavin and their young family are living ‘The Good Life’, raising rare and heritage breeds outdoors. The Farm Kitchen is the 'settled' home of their original Shepherd's Hut food truck and it's an unusual and family friendly place to enjoy good, simple food - handmade burgers and hot dogs, with artisan breads and locally grown salads - made with their own Dexter Beef and Tamworth pork. As well as running the café, there is a shop where they sell their own and other organic meats, local vegetables and a deli range. It's hard to think of any remotely similar enterprise anywhere in Ireland.