Laois businesses awarded for their sustainability practices
Brendan Guinan from Fior Bhia Farm who was shortlisted in the Agri-Food Initiative of the Year category
There were big wins for Laois at the All-Ireland Sustainability Awards recently.
Ballykilcavan Brewing Company picked up a gold medal and was named Best Small Sustainable Business in the country and a silver medal in the Agri-Food Initiative of the Year category.
Fior Bhia Farm in Portlaoise was also shortlisted in the Agri-Food Initiative of the Year category.
The awards were sponsored by Climeaction and held in the La Mon Hotel and Country Club in Belfast.
They celebrated the businesses and individuals who are making a lasting impact on sustainability across the island of Ireland.
The judges were hugely impressed with Ballykilcavan’s overall approach to sustainability which has seen them recognised as Gold members of Bord Bia’s National Origin Green sustainability programme for the last three consecutive years.
The company has made significant savings on energy and water use, removed single use plastics, installed biodiversity features around the brewery and sponsored local teams and events. Having added a second solar panel array, the brewery is now generating more energy than it uses over the course of the year.
Accepting the awards Ballykilcavan co-owner David Walsh-Kemmis said: “We are absolutely thrilled to win this really prestigious award. I’d really like to thank Joe and Niall at the farm and in the brewery who are hugely supportive of all our sustainability measures. It’s great to see their efforts rewarded. We are only a small company, but I’d like to think that we are making a big difference.”
