Food writer Kate honoured for championing local producers

A FOOD writer whose writing career started with The Southern Star has been honoured for her dedication to championing the best of everything Irish and culinary. 

Kate Ryan, award-winning food writer and founder of Flavour.ie, has been named Blas na hÉireann’s Producers’ Champion for 2023.

 The Producers’ Champion is selected annually by Blas na hÉireann producers, based on a survey that goes out to the entire Blas network — a network that covers every county in Ireland with producers from across the food industry. 

 Nominees are put forward by producers early in the year, asked to nominate those they believe are representing and supporting their produce and that of other Irish food makers and growers in an effective and helpful way. 

 Originally from Bristol, Kate moved to Cork in 2005 and quickly recognised the food scene in Ireland was becoming transformative. 

With a growing number of food and drink producers and an increasing abundance of exceptional restaurants to celebrate, her idea of Flavour.ie became a reality. 

The platform, which is dedicated to promoting Irish food and drink, also features her blog, The Flavour Files, where Kate writes about great local produce, seasonality, wild and foraged food, and craft drinks of all kinds, with recipes that illustrate how artisan foods are as at home in our kitchens as they are on a restaurant menu.

 As well as writing for her own website, Kate writes regularly as a food features writer and started her newspaper writing career with The Southern Star’s West Fork food magazine, which focuses on local food producers.  

‘I write about Irish producers to showcase and highlight what they do because I care so passionately about them,’ she said. 

‘We are blessed on this island to have such a vast amount of fantastic produce and it is so important to celebrate that. I started Flavour.ie as an ode to exceptional Irish producers, so this award is down to them.’

Kate is in good company with her new title as she joins past producers’ champions like Simon Coveney TD, Neven Maguire, West Cork-based John and Sally McKenna, Shane McArdle, Kai’s Jess Murphy, Darina Allen, Rory O’Connell, Rachel Allen, Brian McDermott and last year’s winners Johnny McDowell and Laura Bradley from Indie Füde.