See Page 3 - Offaly County Council

Awards and Recommendationsfor Offaly FoodNew Bridgestone food guide has 25 Offaly entriesOffaly food culture is well represented in the latest Bridgestone IrishFood Guide with 25 separate listings lauding everything from aPortarlington blueberry farm, a pretty Birr cafe, to organic wholesomesoups in Cloghan and superb rock buns in a Tullamore bakery in theninth edition, written by highly regarded food writers John and SallyMcKenna."Artisans and good restaurateurs are bucking the economic trend," saidauthor John McKenna. "It may seem hard to believe, but many of thepeople featured in the latest edition of the Bridgestone Irish FoodGuide - whether they are artisans, shopkeepers, restaurateurs ormarketers - have had their best ever year in business.The sheer numberof new entrants in the book amazed us, and we were also amazed bythe quality of foods they are producing and cooking."Among the Offalians praised in the tome include MeadowsweetApiaries, Doon, for their heather honey from Clara bog described as"intense and louring", while Lough Boora Farm's successful box schemecontains "the beautiful carrots that Tony Garaghy's light sandyish soilbrings forth" and "the perfect stop for coffee and something sweet, ora light and energy-filled lunch" is Maidin Gheal in Ferbane.Meanwhile, Clareen-based Slieve Bloom Foods is singled out fornoteworthy comments as the owners of the only cranberry farm inIreland. Other well known names in the Offaly food industry featuredagain this year include Glenisk Organic Dairy, Mossfield Organic Farm,Andrew Rudd Food Group, organic vegetable grower Philip Dreaperand Annaharvey Farm Foods, all favourably commented on the foodieguide, as are newer names like Mill House Sheep's Cheese in Tullamore,speciality cake maker and designer Miriam Pearson's business SweetCreations and Farm Factory Direct in TullamoreWinnerBest Restaurant Offaly 2011Irish Restaurant Awards 2010 inassociation with the RAI andsponsored by Santa Rita andSunday Independent LifeMagazine. Sirocco's Restaurantrepresented Offaly at theNational finals which took placein June.27