Mayo butchers celebrate Energia Family Awards win

Mayo-based Kelly’s Butchers have just been announced as winners of the Family Food and Drink Producer of the Year award in the Energia Family Awards.

This is a prestigious national competition and the Newport butcher family are delighted with their win.

The awards honoured businesses who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and resilience throughout the Covid-19 pandemic while continuing to thrive and grow.

“We’re very pleased to win this particular award as it recognises consistency of quality of produce and the achievements of the business, as well as saluting our entire staff who are so important to us,” said Seán Kelly.

“The theme of the Energia Awards is of ‘Resilience through generations’ – which matches Kelly’s of Newport perfectly as we celebrated 90 years in business last year,” he added.

Normally the Energia Family Awards would culminate in a high-profile awards ceremony, but Covid restrictions meant that this year it was an online event. Master of Ceremonies Matt Cooper from Today FM announced the winners in a virtual ceremony and each winner was asked to put together a celebratory video – a very different experience to normal.

In choosing their winner, the judging panel examined many different aspects of the business. They required the family business to produce food with exemplary taste and flavour, and sought evidence of customer feedback and testimonials.

Innovation in products and systems that demonstrate improved business performance as well as a robust quality system were requisites. They also looked at the whole team working within the business, and Kelly’s are very proud of their strong team without whom none of these awards would be possible.

Community involvement was an element which is very important to the Kelly family, who are deeply connected to their hometown, Newport. Previous achievements were also taken into consideration and Kelly’s have many to choose from, including Seán Kelly receiving a knighthood from a visiting French contingent some years ago.

Kelly’s Hazlett was awarded a silver medal in the cured meat and charcuterie section at the 2021 Blás na hÉireann Irish Food Awards. The most recent introduction to the Kelly range is a gluten-free white pudding. Kelly’s award-winning puddings, sausages and, very soon, Christmas hampers are available all over the country and through their website at www.kellysbutchers.com.