Meet the 2022 Tirlán Quality Grain award winners

ABOVE: Thomas Butler and his wife, Annabel, from Bennettsbridge in Kilkenny have claimed the coveted Tirlán Quality Grain Supplier of the Year Award for 2022. Included are Tirlán Chairman, John Murphy, (l) and Aoife Murphy, Director of Ingredients at Tirlán (r)

Kilkenny-based Green Feed Wheat grower Thomas Butler and his wife, Annabel, have claimed the coveted Tirlán Quality Grain Supplier of the Year Award for 2022, amid strong competition from across the country following a record harvest.

From feed beans to food grade oats, the annual Quality Grain Awards programme recognises the excellence of the top-class Irish crops delivered by Tirlán’s 1,100 growers each year.

The grower, from Bennettsbridge in Kilkenny, was amongst 13 top quality suppliers honoured for their dedication and attention to detail in grain production. Thomas and Annabel run the family farm near scenic Bennettsbridge. It comprises of 250 acres of tillage along with grassland and woodland.

Tirlán Chairman, John Murphy, said choosing an overall winner from among the 13 high calibre entrants was extremely difficult in a harvest year that was blessed with great weather, exceptional quality and high yields.

“The excellence of our suppliers is something we in Tirlán never take for granted. Generations of commitment, knowledge and expertise are what set us apart from growers all over the world. We’re passionate about what we do and it shows in the high-quality produce that comes from our family farms.

“Our standard-setting growers are the cream of the crop. We commend them on the exceptionally high standards they have set and for their continued dedication to quality, best practice and sustainability and their commitment to the sector.

“In Harvest 2022, we took in our highest ever volume of premium grains and delivered an additional €3 million in bonus payments to growers of these premium crops. We remain firmly focused on adding value to our premium grains portfolio through our investment in innovation,” said John Murphy.

Aoife Murphy, Director of Ingredients at Tirlán, said: “There has been a significant investment in cutting edge technology in our Innovation Centre, our team of Commercial, R&D, market insights and nutrition specialists, who work with our product management and marketing divisions to continuously develop our plant-based offering.

“Our high-quality Oat-based ingredients can now be found in a wide variety of food applications such as bars and snacks as well as plant-based alternatives including drinks, ice cream and chocolate.

“We’re continuing to expand our portfolio, build our expertise and evolve our offerings for the future in line with growing market trends. Key markets include North America, Europe and Asia.”

John Kealy, Head of Grains at Tirlán, said: “We doubled our grain volumes in 2022 through our high-spec Oats Mill in Portlaoise. We have ambitions to continue to develop our milling capacity and extend our capability to take advantage of emerging market opportunities.”

As the largest buyer and user of premium Irish grains, Tirlán paid out circa €100 million to grain growers for Harvest 2022 with a grain intake of over 300,000 tonnes.