LISTOWEL FOOD FAIR ANNOUNCE FOOD WRITER KATE RYAN AS THE 2023 FOOD STORYTELLER OF THE YEAR

The Listowel Food Fair is pleased to announce the recipient of the ‘2023 Food Storyteller of the Year Award’ – Food Writer & Content Creator to be Food Writer Kate Ryan.

Kate Ryan is an award-winning food writer and founder of Flavour.ie, a platform dedicated to promoting Irish Food. Kate is a food features writer for The Echo and The Irish Examiner newspapers, and her articles have also featured on the BBC, Vittles, The Irish Times, TheJournal.ie, TheTaste.ie, Headstuff.org, The Southern Star, The Opinion Magazine, and Irish Foodie Magazine. She also writes on her blog, The Flavour Files, showcasing the best of Cork produce and encouraging everyday cooking with it at home.

In 2017, she was commissioned by A Taste of West Cork Food Festival to author and publish an “Artisan Food Guide” featuring small, medium and craft food and drink producers from across West Cork and encouraging visitors to explore their own self-guided taste journey through the region. The project was funded by Cork County Council and Taste Cork.  

Kate Ryan is the 2023 Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Producers’ Champion, a member and current Treasurer of the Irish Food Writers’ Guild, a judge for Blas na hÉireann, Irish Quality Food Awards, National Dairy Awards and Restaurant of the Year Awards, and a graduate of UCC’s Postgraduate Diploma in Irish Food Culture. In 2022, she was awarded an Irish Food Writing Award for the Food Writing category.

Speaking about the special presentation Listowel Food Fair Chairman, Former Minister of State in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Jimmy Deenihan said:

“On behalf of the 2023 Listowel Food Fair I would like to extend our warmest congratulations to Food Writer Kate Ryan on receiving the ‘Food Storyteller of the Year Award’ – Food Writer & Content Creator. Kate is a very worthy recipient and she has made her mark on the world of food writing and food journalism in all its current digital and traditional forms. I would also like to thank Jeremy Murphy, JM Agency for his time, dedication and commitment in working with our committee to adjudicate this award. Jeremy’s expertise in publishing has been invaluable and we greatly appreciate his participation with this adjudication process”

Speaking about the award selection process Adjudicator Jeremy Murphy, JM Agency, Publishing & Marketing Consultant said:

“The Listowel Food Fair ‘2023 Food Storyteller of the Year Award’ is an inaugural award that has been in development for some time. In creating the Food Storyteller of the Year Award, the Listowel Food Fair committee wanted to celebrate and acknowledge food writers and food content creators who excel in both traditional print, including newspaper columns and books, and new digital media, including social media content and blogging. Storytelling is an ancient craft. It is one of the oldest ways to celebrate and increase our understanding of food. In the modern world, this takes many forms, including in new digital media. What the Listowel Food Fair wanted to achieve with this award was to recognise the achievements of a great writer, who embraces digital technologies while celebrating food through the written word in all its forms.”

The criteria of the adjudication process led by Jeremy Murphy focused on the search for a food storyteller whose content has themes relating to sustainability and healthy living. The adjudication panel were also seeking individual creators, unique voices who expand our understanding of food in all its facets and introduce us to new ways of making, cooking and celebrating food.

Jeremy Murphy established the JM Agency, Publishing Consultancy in 2018 and to date they have helped a range of publishers and authors bring their books to life, including bestselling authors Eddie Hobbs and former Economics Editor of the Irish Times Marc Coleman, as well as Kerry stalwarts Robert Pierse and Dan Kiely. RTE Liveline Presenter and broadcaster Joe Duffy has described ‘One Last Bend’, edited, designed and produced by the JM Agency team, as a ‘beautiful production’. JM Agency recently sponsored the Fiction Award at the CAP Aware Awards for Independent Publishing, and they exhibited at the 2022 London Book Fair.

The 2023 Listowel Food Fair runs from Thursday 9th – Monday 13th November 2023.
Information on the 2023 Listowel Food Fair is available at www.listowelfoodfair.ie.
Tickets can be purchased at www.eventbrite.ie

The 2023 Listowel Food Fair is supported by Kerry Group, Bord Bia, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Teagasc, Fáilte Ireland, Tipperary Crystal, Kerry County Council, Kerry Local Enterprise Office, Garvey’s Supervalu, Sure Alarms and Eno Wines.