Sugar Plum Sweetery wins prestigious national award
Mullingar chocolate maker Sugar Plum Sweetery is celebrating this week after winning a prestigious national award.
The Dominick Street business won the Chocolate and Confectionery category in the Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards for their handmade Florentine chocolate slab. They were shortlisted alongside some of Ireland's best-known confectioners, such as Lir Chocolates and Lilly O'Brien's.
Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, Sugar Plum Sweetery's co-owner, Denise Buckley, said she and her team are delighted to have won.
“It's amazing. Usually these awards go to huge companies such as Lidl, Dunnes or Aldi. For a small producer like us to get recognised is brilliant.”
The Florentine chocolate slab, which has also been shortlisted for a Blas na hÉireann award, is one of Sugar Plum's most products in their store, which is located next to its sister restaurant, Wholesome Kitchen, which is also co-owned by Denise and her husband David Quirke.
Made with a base layer of our Sugar Plum's milk chocolate and topped with a helping of crunchy roasted almonds, pure honey and a vanilla mix, the recipe for the Florentine slab was devised by Denise before Sugar Plum opened last summer.
“We developed lots of test products and did multiple taste tests with our team. This proved the most popular.
“It was inspired by the taste of a Dime bar, but is 100 per cent hand made,” Denise said.
Sugar Plum will be shortly launching their own range of cluster chocolates, including a Florentine version and their chocolatiers have also been busy developing a new range of products for the Christmas market.
As well as Sugar Plum's products being available in-store and online, they will also be appearing on the shelves of some of Ireland's best known retailers in the coming months.
Thanking their customers for their support over the past year, Denise says that winning the award is a boost for the Sugar Plum team and a validation of the hard work they have put in.
“There is huge support out there for small Irish businesses, especially when it comes to food,” she said.