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Annascaul Black Pudding Co. ‘s Eileen and Thomas Ashe. Photo By Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD
A FOOD business from Annascaul is this year’s winner of the Kerry Enterprise Award for 2019.
The top prize of €2,500 went to Thomas and Eileen Ashe, Annascaul Black Pudding Co., who will now represent Local Enterprise Office Kerry at the 21st National Enterprise Awards on Wednesday, May 29 in the Mansion House in Dublin.
Annascaul Black Pudding Co. is an artisan food production business. They specialise in artisan black and white puddings, a range of pork sausages and related products and dry-cured rashers. They also have a range of in-store meals using their own products. They employ 7 full time and 5 part-time staff.
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The other winner at the Kerry’s Enterprise Awards held at Kerry County Council, County Buildings, Rathass, Tralee was Benoit Lorge, Lorge Chocolatier.
They produce hand-made chocolates in Bonane, Kenmare. They also run chocolate making courses for the general public as well as professional chocolate making courses for chefs, pastry chefs and people hoping to start their own business in this area.
National judging is taking place in April and May and Annascaul Black Pudding Co., will be competing against 30 other finalists from every local authority area for a share of the€40,000 prize fund.
The Mansion House in Dublin is the venue for awards ceremony in May and categories this year include ‘Best Export Business,’ ‘Best Start Up Business’ and ‘Innovation,’ in addition to eight regional awards.
The Kerry Enterprise Awards, by the Local Enterprise Office Kerry are taking place as part of Local Enterprise Week 2019. There are over 370 events taking place across the country for this year’s Local Enterprise Week, being organised by the network of Local Enterprise Offices nationwide.
Speaking during Local Enterprise Week Tomás Hayes, Head of Local Enterprise Office Kerry said: “Annascaul Black Pudding Co., has already become a success story and the judges were particularly impressed by please leave in what applies – their business strategy/their job creation potential/their success in domestic and export markets/their use of innovation and technology. The National Enterprise Awards are a great barometer for what the Local Enterprise Offices are doing and every year the standard is getting better and better and we are delighted to have Annascaul Black Pudding Co., representing us in Dublin in May.”
