Dr Lubna Ahmed is an Assistant Lecturer in Food Science, Sensory and Product Development in the Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin). Lubna completed her PhD in Food Science in the School of Food Science and environmental Health in 2013 on extension of shelf-life and nutritional quality of fruits and vegetables. Lubna completed her Bachelor's degree from Dhaka University, Bangladesh in 2002 and MSc degree in Biotechnology from Leibniz University of Hannover, Germany in 2004. She has worked as a post-doctoral researcher in an EU funded project where she was involved in conducting research activities, managing the project including budget management, liaising with industry and other academic collaborative partners. She has then worked as an assistant Lecturer (HPAL) in New Product development in TU Dublin since 2015. She is a PI of the Food Innovation lab that supports Irish and EU Food & Drink Industry Research & Development.

Self employed wine consultant, educator, photographer & writer since 2004 and joined Classic Wine (N.I.) Ltd in Oct. 2004 as Senior Wine Adviser and Harry’s Road Fine Wines / Nick’s Wines as wine consultant in June 2008 – both wine & spirits importers in wholesale & retail. Past Chairman & current Vice President and programme co-ordinator of Northern Ireland Wine & Spirit Institute since Nov. 2002 – (see http://www.niwsi.org ) and committee member since Nov. 1997, producing annual programme of events and arranging speakers including Masters of Wine, sommeliers, wine producers and local wine merchants. I have also been involved in organising wine study trips to wine regions including Alsace, Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Languedoc / Roussillon, Loire, Rioja & Navarra, Sicily, Luxembourg and South Africa. Lecturer on wine @ Queens University Belfast, Open Learning since Sept 1993. Lecturer on wine @ Northern College (Newtownabbey) Sept. 2004. Lecturer on Wine at Stranmillis College, Belfast Lifelong Learning 2019. 1st Northern Ireland Wine Taster of the Year Nov. 2000 (sponsored by Belfast Telegraph, Direct Wine Shipments & Viña Santa Rita – Chile) & finalist 2001 (not held since). I organise and present wine seminars to wine clubs, wine circles, wine institutes and private groups throughout N. Ireland, U.K., Ireland & worldwide. I organise and present wine Masterclasses for local wine merchants particularly in recent years with Direct Wine Shipments. Winner of Wine Magazine & Robert Mondavi Amateur Photographer of the Year 2000. Published travel & wine writer – Real Travel Magazine on Bordeaux and Licensed & Catering News (Wine, Gin & Whiskey) Past WSET Recommended Tutor & Assessor Levels, 1,2 & 3 Presenter at Belfast Whiskey Week 2020, 2021 & 2022 on Wine & Whiskey

After graduating from catering college Karyn she entered the pastry kitchens of Selfridges and The Ritz Hotel in London, training for three years. She then worked for Albert Roux in London, Sir Terence Conran’s Sartoria, London and Paul Rankin’s Michelin Starred Roscoff in Belfast, developing her craft over 12 years before continuing her education in Food Science and Technology at the Loughry Campus in Cookstown. Since then, she has spent twenty years learning, practising and perfecting food styling for photography and film. Karyn was the Home Economist on the international hit Game of Thrones (1 - 4) and created the Stallion's Heart for Daenerys Targaryen. Karyn is the Home Economist on How To Train Your Dragon, Universal Productions. She is a member of The Guild of Food Writers, London. www.karynbooth.com

Dr. Cristina Botinestean is currently a Food Technologist in the Food Industry Development Department at Teagasc, where she leads food research and industry projects, particularly in the area of meat and meat products. Cristina provides expert R&D knowledge on food product development and reformulation, quality attributes of prepared consumer food products, sensory analysis, and consumer research.

Cristina is a certified Sensory Panel Leader, and her research expertise includes sensory evaluation techniques and the applications of virtual and augmented reality in Sensory Science. Cristina is a tutor for delivering an IFST accredited sensory training course for industry/research staff.

Previously, Cristina previously worked as a Research Officer – Sensory Panel Manager at Teagasc, in the Food Quality and Sensory Science Department, where she managed comprehensive sensory evaluation activities of Meat Technology Ireland (MTI) project. In this role, Cristina was responsible for coordinating, training, and designing descriptive sensory trials for the sensory quality assessment.

Before her role as a Research Officer, Cristina worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher on the Meat4Vitality project, where her research aimed to enhance the textural attributes of meat products to increase their appeal to elderly consumers.

Cristina also worked in the meat industry as a Production and Quality Assurance Engineer, where she led the development of a wide range of meat products.

With over 28 years’ experience as a professional chef, Matthew is an energetic, positive thinker with leadership skills that undertakes progression & financial stability going forward into a business, along with good working relationships with other colleagues. As a graduate of BA in Culinary Arts, Matthew excels at adapting to new challenges & ideas, focussing on issues that need solutions, along with a vast knowledge of food, with presenting himself with a confidant & professional approach, where he always strives for excellence. Matthew is responsible for the innovation of Scratch My Pork (Irish Pork Crackling). By using new product development methods & the Gastronomy of Irish & English food he created the first meat savoury snack to be produced for the Irish market. The Skibbereen Food Company’s products is a success story that no one saw coming which is available in all symbol groups throughout Ireland, UK and Europe. Matthew was also an ILDN finalist representing the West Cork Development Program. Consulting in the hospitality industry is something new to Matthew, but has helped several businesses & continues to grow his reputation for solving problems in the professional kitchen environment. Matthew has also been a food writer for the Southern Star Newspaper in West Cork and continues to write for The Irish Foodie Magaine, along with holding yearly cooking classes with charity work through cooking demonstrations around his local area. He has also worked for The Simply Better Brand for Dunne stores as a demonstration Chef

Martina Burns founded Richmount Cordial Company in 2013 with her husband David and they produce premium elderflower and elderberry drinks in their production facility in Richmount, Co. Longford. Martina completed the Diploma in Specialty Food Production in UCC in 2017 and she's passionate about good food made with great ingredients.

Writer on wine and drinks for 24 years. Member of Circle of Wine Writers. WSET Diploma and WSET Approved Educator and Invigilator for Levels 2 & 3. Judge at international competitions for over 12 years.

Deirdre Carroll is Senior Enterprise Development Lead in Fingal Local Enterprise Office with responsibility for Food Sector clients within the Fingal area. She has worked with many food clients assisting them with their business in the start up and scaling stages. Deirdre's previous background is in the technology sector and has travelled extensively sampling the cuisine of various countries and continents and brings a business & consumer perspective to the judging panel.

Originally from Mullingar, Oisín now resides in Galway full time. Currently working for one of the oldest catering company in the country, Lydon House Catering which is most well known for catering to one of Ireland's largest racing festival with The Galway Races summer festival, where he leads the corporate hospitality sections and beverage through out the racecourse. Lydon house also cater for Ballinrobe Racecourse and Roscommon racecourse along with having a number of there own units across the country. First qualifying as a chef from GMIT, Oisín then went on to work in many different restaurant settings before moving out of the kitchen to work in front of house. Working predominantly in bars, he went on to specialising in mixology where he helped design a number of cocktail menus across Canada and In Dublin, where he managed to get a few awards along the way. "I love all things Irish, I think we, as a country of our size have some of the finest produce and producer's you could find anywhere in the world, and just as important we have some of the finest people who know what to do make something beautiful from that produce. I am a huge lover of Irish craft beer as well as, Irish meats and cheese and for this i cannot wait to come back to help judge another year for the IQFA" Oisín recently joined as a judge for the YesChef awards, Galway based.

I have been working in Research & Development for over 13 years delivering product strategies and road maps from ideation to concept, development, testing & launch. Constantly keeping up to date with launches and the latest food trends. I have a huge interest in customer relationships, driving innovation and keeping connected to key customer strategies.

After graduating from GMIT Eithne travelled working in kitchens in Switzerland, France, and the United States. On returning to Ireland, she took up the role of pastry chef at Adare Manor. After further study in Cathal Bruagha Street and starting a family, she moved to Northern Ireland where she entered the education sector teaching in the Catering College in Portrush as it was then. Over the years she has delivered programs for Failte Ireland, CLETB, and is currently part of the culinary lecturing team and Associate Head of Food & Beverage at Shannon College of Hotel Management, training management students in elementary culinary skills, kitchen management & gastronomy.

Joanne Cronin is a food writer and blogger, with over 10 years experience. Her primary focus is on restaurant reviews, currently publishing on her Instagram account @joanne.cronin. In addition she promotes Irish food and drink across the entire island on @irishfoodscene. She has contributed to multiple publications including the Irish Times, House & Home, leading Irish food guides and podcasts. She has also been commissioned to produce independent assessment reports for restaurants. Having lived abroad at several points in her professional career, Joanne now lives in Dublin but is a proud Cork woman. She grew up on a dairy farm in Cork’s Gaeltacht Mhúscraí (Muskerry Gaeltacht), in a family with a strong tradition of home baking, jam making and vegetable growing. In addition to her food writing, Joanne is a Director in technology consulting for a leading professional services firm. Joanne holds a WSET Level 3 Award in Wines, in addition to a PhD in Semiconductor Physics and a BSc in Physics, both awarded by University College Cork.

Ciara Daly is the founder of Conquer Digital, a social media marketing agency on a mission to improve the food and drink industry. Conquer Digital help food and drink businesses create connections so they can positively impact people, planet and profit. Using creative communication skills, the Conquer Digital team are working towards a climate smart food system. By sharing authentic and inspiring stories from passionate food and drink leaders, they aim to educate the public on why it's worth paying a premium on local and more sustainable food or drink products and experiences. They are advocating for a brighter and more equitable future by increasing their focus on working with food and drink organisations who share their mission.

Tracie Daly is a passionate award-winning entrepreneur, qualified executive business coach, and chef, who helps hospitality business owners to unlock their full potential - increasing sales, reducing costs, and improving their operations overall.

With a wealth of knowledge and industry experience in the Food and Education sectors, her advice and problem-solving skills are very much based on regular everyday food service and hospitality queries and dilemmas. Having chosen to specialise in working with SMEs in the casual dining space, she designs and executes bespoke food business models and empowers owners to transform their businesses, ensuring long-term sustainable growth.

Adept at streamlining operational processes to increase business efficiencies and with an innovative approach to recipe testing and menu development that results in measurable business improvements, working directly with Tracie has already helped so many food business owners right across the country to minimise risk.

Caoimhe Delany is a Business Advisor with the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Meath and has responsibility for the development of the full suite of training and management development programs for LEO client companies. She manages the Business Advice Clinics with LEO Meath clients and currently sits on the National Communications Committee for the LEO Network. Caoimhe has held business development positions with The Fitzwilliam Hotel, Dublin and The Shelbourne Hotel, most recently she worked for nearly 10 years with the Irish Exporters Association as National Development Manager, working with companies from Pre- Export to Global Multinational Exporters based throughout the Island of Ireland.

My culinary journey began back in 2012 at DIT, where I immersed myself in Culinary Arts and sharpened my skills as a chef at Howth's celebrated Brass Monkey restaurant. Fuelled by a passion for both food and business, I pursued a degree in Culinary Entrepreneurship, which took me to London. There, I dove into the hospitality scene, collaborating with the likes of Delicious Magazine and BAO London while gaining valuable insights at a PR firm specializing in the industry.

Returning to Dublin, I took on diverse roles, freelancing for local cafes and handling their PR and social media needs. When the pandemic hit, I pivoted to catering, delighting local residents with dishes like lasagna, chicken pies, and decadent desserts at private gatherings. This journey also saw me share my culinary adventures on Instagram, where I reviewed eateries and showcased my food photography. It wasn’t long before this passion for digital storytelling led me to a full-time role at a social media management agency, managing accounts for notable brands such as Manhattan Popcorn and Dubliner Whiskey.

Continuing to evolve professionally, I transitioned into the role of Digital Marketing Manager at the esteemed Market Bar Group, where I strategised digital initiatives for iconic venues including Market Bar and Chelsea Drugstore. Always driven by innovation and a desire to support the hospitality industry, I founded Crave Social in January, specialising in social media management and marketing consulting for businesses in the sector. Alongside these ventures, I take great joy in serving as a private chef, curating unforgettable dining experiences for intimate gatherings and events.

Margaret was reared on a dairy farm in the Gaeltacht area of Cill Na Martra in West Cork . Food is in her DNA and went on to complete a BSc Food Business from UCC . She has spent the past 24 years in the Food industry working in areas such sourcing , buying and selling where she has travelled internationally trading in the food sector.

Margaret consults on a variation of services such as sourcing , supply chain , commercial business development, finance and supporting Food businesses to scale and development while being economically , socially and environmentally sustainable.

Margaret is also founder of The Irish Food Trade Connect Forum which is an Irish Food Trading conference and networking platform to educate , support , connect and encourage International and national trade development and scale within the Irish Food industry

Mari was working full time in a bank as an Assistant Manager when she discovered her business idea. Popping into the supermarket after a long day Mari couldn’t find any sauces that had high vegetable content that would be perfect for her 3 year old fussy eater. She refused to buy the jarred sauces as they had high sugar, salt and no nutritional values. Mari found herself at the weekend cooking homemade sauces and blending lots of fresh vegetables through the sauces so her young son couldn’t see or taste the vegetables..Ben loved the sauces and Mari thought ..time now to start up my own business. Her love of cooking healthy homemade food along with a desire to run her own business,,she created Dan & Monstro Homemade Sauces. As her young son inspired her food business idea, she also wanted to call the brand that was relatable to him too. At the time he played with two hand puppets which he called Dan & Monstro so she used similar images of the puppets and the imagination of a child to create her award winning brand.

Entrepreneur and Experienced Chief Executive Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the food production industry.

Skilled in Customer Service, Business Development, Marketing Strategy, Social Media, and Management.

Strong business development professional graduated from Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology.

CEO of Haynestown Meats Ltd, Wholesale meats distribution, Naas, County Kildare and Co-Founder & CEO of the Irish Biltong Company, award-winning snacking company based in Naas, County Kildare.

Since starting her clinic, in the last 2 decades, Julia Edgely noticed a pattern when treating ailments linked to gut health and food intolerances. Lifestyle choices plays such an important role when it comes to our gut intergrity, and immunity.

Let food be thy medicine, she is passionate about helping her patients and followers enjoy healthy eating. After years of working closely with patients and private chefs creating achievable and tasty meals, she believes, eating for your wellbeing should not be complicated. This philosophy has lead her to further work in recipe development and continued professional development in the area of food and lifestyle. Simple quality food provides a diet that is not only healthy and beneficial for your wellness but also is delicious and easy to follow.

Jim grew up on a dairy and sheep farm in the hills near Blessington, Co Wicklow and still lives there, having worked all over Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East. He has degrees in Agriculture and Animal Science from UCD. Outside of work, he spends time with Evangeline and his family of 3 children. He hikes, sings, keeps hens and a lot of bees.

Dip, WSET, CRE, CPE

Certified Wine & Spirit Education Trust Educator and Examiner, Ireland's only Certified Rioja and Port Educator.

Growing up in the West Auckland wine producing region of New Zealand, I have a natural affinity with wine. I have had the opportunity to work with prestigious companies specialising in fast moving consumer goods and wine production for over twenty five years.

I have extensive knowledge of most sectors in the wine industry, having studied in Rioja, Douro Valley, Napa Valley, Bordeaux, Champagne, Catalonia, Chile, Argentina and Australia. I have worked with national, multi-national, corporate and family run firms, operating independently in many scenarios or in partnership with a larger team.

Focusing on Education, European Sales and Supply Chain Fulfillment for the past 25 years, with WSET Approved Provider Schools in Dublin, Riga & Tallinn, I have had success within the complex zoned selling regions throughout Europe including the highly competitive HoReCa sector in Scandinavia, and their retail sectors where I have secured tenders within their complicated Monopoly tendering systems.

I have intimate knowledge of business in the Federal States, Cantons and Provinces of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria and a proven track record with the United Kingdom, Ireland and Benelux countries. More recently I have spread my business interests into the Eastern European market.

Mindi Keane, the visionary founder behind Mama Nagi's Authentic Raw Indian Chili Pastes and sauces, embarked on her entrepreneurial journey in 2015. This marked the beginning of a flavourful fusion of tradition and innovation in South Dublin. Inspired by her mother, affectionately known as Mama Nagi, Mindi sought to introduce the vibrant tastes of authentic Indian recipes to the Irish market.

At the heart of Mama Nagi's appeal lies Mindi's heritage, encapsulated in her mother's time-honored recipe. This recipe has been passed down through generations from India to Uganda, the UK, and now Ireland. Crafted with fresh, handpicked ingredients and an artful blend of herbs and spices, Mama Nagi's products are not only 100% vegan but also free from wheat, gluten, and sugar. This aligns seamlessly with evolving dietary preferences and consumer trends.

The success of Mama Nagi's caught the attention of the media. Mindi and her products were featured on the Irish Dragons' Den in 2017, where she showcased the unique flavours and versatility of her chili pastes. This exposure led to further media appearances, including features on the Ireland AM breakfast show on Virgin Media. These appearances helped to raise awareness of the brand and introduced Mama Nagi's to a wider audience.

Shilpa Razniewska is an Award Winning Irish Food Blogger and self taught Photographer, Food stylist and recipe developer. She started sharing her passion for food through her recipes on her blog, Soulful And Healthy and gained quite a following from people who enjoyed trying her recipes and new dish ideas. Born and raised in Bangalore, India she moved to Dublin in 2012 after her marriage. Being the foodie that she has always been from her childhood, she created her blog to share simple, easy recipes after she became a Mum. As her blog gained popularity, it went on to win The Best Irish Blog Award in the UK in 2018. As her creations gained attention, she decided to become a Food Photographer and Food Stylist, and has worked with many Irish food brands and Irish producers. Now Shilpa’s recipes are published in many leading publications like The Irish times, The Taste, The Journal and many such magazines and newspapers both local and International. She has also worked with some of the most popular restaurants in Dublin as a Photographer.

Retired CEO of Glanbia Ireland Plc. Former: Technical Director The Cheese Co. UK, General Manager Express Foods NÍ Ltd, General Manager Kilmeaden Creamery, Cheese Plant Manager Mitchelstown Creameries Ltd Currently: Financial Director of the Federation of Irish Beekeeping Associations Currently: Director of the FIBKA Beekeeping Summer School in Maynooth University Lives in Waterford with a history in local small scale food production, community development, social inclusion and rural development including village enterprise parks with many small scale food producers.

More than 20 years’ experience working in the food and hospitality sector, Eileen is passionate about food, innovation and bringing new taste experiences to life for consumers. With time spent across retail, manufacturing and distribution in both the Irish and Global sector Eileen is laser focused on using consumer insights to drive category decisions and has a solid foundation for new product development and innovation.

Throughout her career Eileen has worked with both food and beverages across “dine in” and “to go” markets giving her a unique insight into foodservice operations across various channels. Eileen has travelled extensively both with work and in her personal time and relishes the opportunity to explore new cultures and their cuisines.

Chef Jeeny Maltese is a Latin-American born TV chef and food writer. Regularly Featuring as a celebrity chef on RTE One, on the “Today Show with Maura & Daithi” and Virgin Media One on “The Six O'Clock Show”. A keynote speaker and guest chef in top festivals and events nationwide.

Since starting in the hospitality sector in the early 90's to present day I have worked across many parts of the food industry successfully competing both nationally and internationally with the Irish culinary team and also winning many accolades for my culinary endeavours in the restaurant scene and achieving awards for product development. I am a keen traveller and enjoy world cuisines and love to try new and exciting foods. I look forward to what the 2023 IQFA's hold in store!

Dr Clare McCall has a doctorate in food innovation. She has over 15 years’ experience working across academia and the private sector in consumer research, market performance and data management roles centred on the food and drink sector. Clare has also completed the 12 week certificate at Ballymaloe Cookery School.

With over 18 years of experience in the Food Industry Donna McGuire is a driven and passionate product developer with experience in the Food to Go, Confectionary and Meat sector.

Donna completed a BSc in Dietetics from University of Ulster and MSc in Innovation, Leadership & management from the University of York. Having lived in Australia and America she moved home to further develop her passion for Irish food and drink. Outside of work Donna loves to travel, exploring different foods across the world, and can often be found out walking in the Mourne Mountains.

Rosie is an award winning freelance food photographer, food stylist, recipe developer and professional pastry chef based in Cavan. She works both nationwide and in studio with a wide variety of businesses all over Ireland including restaurants, food producers, spirit and drinks producers, food events, food trucks etc.

Dr. Francesco Noci is a lecturer at ATU – Galway City in the areas of Food Science and Technology, Food Safety, Food product development and Nutrition. Prior to ATU he has been working at the UCD Institute of Food and Health, lecturing in nutritional biochemistry and metabolism and food product development. Overall he has over 15 years of experience in research on physical and chemical aspects of food quality by instrumental and sensory methods. In his current role he is actively involved in applied research on shelf life and product development with food SMEs and is a member of the Sensory Food Network Ireland. Dr. Francesco Noci graduated from UCD in 2005 with a PhD in food science focusing on the modification of meat quality using a dietary approach at farm level.

Brigid O’Hora is a WSET-trained sommelier who has worked for many years in the operational and sales side of the wine industry, including front of house in l’Gueuleton and as a sommelier in Dromoland Castle. During this time, her passion was always for the educational aspect of wine; and she really caught the bug for teaching during a year lecturing on wine at Cathal Brugha St., DIT (now TU Dublin).

The small matter of having triplets in 2006 saw Brigid take a short career break, during which time she established a strong Instagram following for her Bridey Bunch Triplets. By 2020, she was ready to re-enter wine education – just in time to embrace the new opportunities for online learning that the strange and challenging year of 2020 brought. Brigid launched Brideys_wine_chats (Instagram handle) in March 2020 to offer free Insta-Live wine tastings to followers on Facebook and Instagram, now at 15,000 followers. These free tastings are accessible to novice wine tasters, who are guided through the basics of wine tasting. In September 2020, Brigid launched Virtual Vineyards.

Virtual Vineyards is an online wine education business which allows wine lovers to further their wine knowledge from the comfort of their own homes. As well as regular Zoom-based, six-week wine appreciation courses, Virtual Vineyards also offers popular online masterclass evenings concentrating on French, Italian or Spanish wines. Again through Zoom, these one-off classes introduce three wines from the respective country and talk about their production styles, tastes and foods to match.

Kate O' Hora is a chef and owner of the cake business ‘The Cake Table’. She has over 25 years of experience in restaurant and hospitality and in other areas of the food industry, including food styling, food writing, recipe development and restaurant consultation. She holds an MA in Gastronomy and Food Studies and is about to embark on a PhD in Food Tourism at Technological University Dublin.

Innovator. Strategist. Sales & Marketing specialist. Business problem solver. Entrepreneur.

Jennifer Oppermann is a Dublin-based photographer, food stylist and recipe creator. Fine art, particularly sculpture, was her first love until she discovered food. She now combines her artist's eye with her love of food to create visually beautiful food. 

She has honed her craft in styling and has styled both food and props for brand advertising campaigns, editorials and TV commercials for many of the largest food retailers in Ireland. As a photographer she has worked on cookbooks and photographed for many of the top restaurants and hotels in Ireland.

Jennifer has been exposed to a wide variety of cuisines and cooking styles which has added to her culinary expertise. She has vast ingredient knowledge and a very keen palate which she uses to create and develop unique delicious recipes for brands and food producers. 

She is a staunch supporter of locally-sourced, great quality food which has led her to become involved with Irish food awards judging panels in the last couple of years.

To see more of what she gets up to on a daily basis, take a look at her Instagram (linked below).

https://www.jenniferoppermann.com/ 

Experienced Leader/ Programme Manager and Entrepreneur and holder of a recent Masters Degree in Entrepreneurship and Business from TU Dublin – awarded First Class Honours. Founded and operated a successful business in the food retail sector.

A great interest in Sustainability and ESG - completed a certificate programme with University of Cambridge Business School. A successful track record in Programme Development, and Management both in Ireland North and South and overseas. In particular, in Cross border initiatives, Enterprise Development and Training sectors. Worked successfully with SME’s in the Republic of Ireland, North of Ireland and Europe managing European funded projects.

Organic, Free From and Speciality Food Products.

Suzanne Redmond has been part of the drinks industry for the past twenty years and carries with her many qualifications and experiences as well as various roles in the industry. She has studied with the WSET where she completed their wine and spirit course to degree level. Suzanne regularly contributes to specialised magazines and whiskey books. When she is not found writing, she is hosting a private or public tastings. In her spare time, she judges many food and drink competitions. Suzanne’s level of knowledge of all things whiskey is well known and praised by the industry itself, both in Ireland and Scotland.

Aoife Ryan has been working with food since 2009, firstly as a food & drink blogger, then as head of buying for an airline retail supplier.

Aoife joined Avoca in 2021 as Head of Ambient Food Buying with a mission to bring more micro, local and national suppliers to join the food & drink range in the Avoca Food Markets. She works closely with Bord Bia, LEO's and local food groups to identify potential new suppliers and list them with Avoca.

Aoife previously developed buy on board menus for airlines including Ryanair, Aer Lingus, LATAM & SWISS, bringing both a local and international range to their menus, as well as developing private label products for airline clients.

Kate Ryan is an award-winner food writer and founder of Flavour.ie, a platform dedicated to promoting Irish Food. She is the current Secretary of the Irish Food Writers’ Guild, a judge for Blas na hEireann and the Irish Quality Food Awards and a graduate of UCCs Postgraduate Diploma in Irish Food Culture. 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.

In 2022, she was awarded an Irish Food Writing Award for the Food Writing category.

Fiona Staunton is a Ballymaloe trained chef and has a Bachelor of Education in Home Economics from Trinity College Dublin. Having worked as a chef at Ballymaloe House, she started her own successful catering business in Dublin in the late 1990’s. She then moved to Australia for eight years. Now as a Mum to two young children, she is passionate about healthy wholefood family cooking and opens her house to cookery demonstrations. Fiona’s business also caters for corporate clients. Fiona’s Food for Life runs live cookery demonstrations in companies as part of their wellbeing programmes including the IBEC Keepwell accreditation.

Ciara Troy is an established food entrepreneur & managing director of Oishii Foods Ltd, a Japanese inspired food business based in Smithfield, Dublin. Founded in 2006 with the aim of sharing Ciara's love of Japanese cuisine with a wider audience, both Ciara & Oishii products have gained recognition over the years for their achievements in business & in the food world. Winner of Image Young Businesswoman of the year in 2011, Ciara has extensive knowledge of the food sector, health & food nutrition as well as specialising in Asian inspired cuisine. Having previous judging experience at Irish food awards, Ciara is a strong supporter of Irish producers & quality products.