The judges will be looking for stores with an in-store hot and cold food facility that meets and exceeds the requirements of its customer base. Particular significance will be placed on innovative choices and immediate visual impact in terms of the food offering as well as quality of the food and value for money. Judges will also consider the diversity of the range and how it caters for customers at different times of the day and also how promotional activities help to increase food to go sales.

This is an area where retailers really have the opportunity to put their own stamp on things. This category will acknowledge innovation in fresh food retailing and a commitment to Irish goods. Of course, it also goes without saying that getting the simple things right, such as scratch preparation, value for money, range and presentation are also key.

A hugely important category, the award for Ireland’s Best Meat offering, celebrates a core part of today’s supermarket offering. Here, the judges will be looking for high standards in the areas of range, presentation and product knowledge, as well retailers who are trying to do something new with a very traditional category.

Irish consumers are increasingly willing to try new things in the seafood category, so this category will seek to commend the retailers that are really focused on facilitating this. Also, provided that the range of locally sourced seafood is on the increase, the judges will be looking for retailers that take pride in promoting their local credentials.

This is one of the most important aspects of any fresh offering. Every retailer today understands the need to maintain a strong fresh fruit and veg department. In this award category, the judges will be looking for strong evidence of seasonality, local sourcing, and retailers that were open to innovation, while also offering excellent value for money.

This is a category that really enables a store to stand out, in terms of presentation and creativity. And the level of investment being put into scratch bakeries in recent years is an indication of how important this category has become. In addition, the growth in the food to go market reinforces the need to have a well-stocked, reliable bakery offering. Here, the judges will be looking for stores that understand how to use bakery as a unique selling point.

The range of cheeses, yoghurts and fresh dairy products in stores has never been greater, and the retailers that enter this category are expected to really understand how to use it as a footfall drive. In particular, when it comes to cheese, retailers really have an opportunity to create a USP, and promote both local products and in-store expertise.

With sustainability and environmental concerns at an all-time high, this award will recognise the retailers and suppliers that are setting the agenda when it comes to making their businesses more environmentally-friendly. Please explain your overall sustainability/environmental strategy and what it has achieved to date. Please ensure that you explain the targets you have set, and the progress you have made towards achieving them. If possible, please include data and statistics demonstrating year-on-year progress.

This award is designed to recognise the best in non-affiliated fresh food retailing. The winner of this award will be a thriving fresh food store offering some or all of the following – fruit and veg, meat, fish and poultry, dairy, and baked goods. Judges will be looking for quality, seasonality, use of local produce and outstanding retail display. Entrants must be able to show a clear commitment to excellence in fresh food provision across all areas of the store.

This isn’t necessarily about one particular category, or one area of expertise, rather it’s about fostering a ‘culture of creativity’ that is visible in many different elements of the fresh offering and can give a store real personality. To be successful in this category, you need to do more than just think outside the box, you need to demonstrate how the standards you set are unlike anything else seen in the industry.

This award is designed to recognise the best in fresh food retailing. The winner of this award will be a thriving fresh food store offering some or all of the following – fruit and veg, meat, fish and poultry, dairy, and baked goods. Judges will be looking for quality, seasonality, use of local produce and outstanding retail display. Entrants must be able to show a clear commitment to excellence in fresh food provision across all areas of the store.

This category is all about overall store excellence, honouring supermarkets that not only deliver a consistent quality offering across the entire store but are also focused on developing innovative new concepts. Judges will be looking for quality, seasonality, use of local produce and outstanding retail display. Entrants must be able to show a concerted commitment to excellence in fresh food provision across all areas of the store.

This category, for supermarkets under 10,000 square feet, measures how well retailers are able to develop a comprehensive fresh food proposition in a relatively confined space. Rather than focus on one category, here the judges will look for retailers that are really able to develop a winning fresh offering, right across the store.

The level of investment going into forecourt development around the country means that it really is a golden period for the industry, and this is reflected in the standard of entries in past years which has been exceptionally high across all stores. Judges will be looking for quality, seasonality, use of local produce and outstanding retail display. Particular emphasis will be placed on the quality of the fresh food-to-go offering available in-store.

What the judges will be looking for in this award category, is a C-Store that really encapsulates the needs of its community and is able to deliver an innovative fresh proposition to distinguish it from its competitors. Entrants must be able to show a clear commitment to excellence in fresh food provision across all areas of the store.

The category recognises the level of investment that discounters have made in upgrading their stores in recent years. While the business model has remained largely the same, modern discount stores are increasingly a pleasure to shop in, with wider aisles, a larger product selection, and, of course, a broader range of fresh products. Judges will be looking for quality, seasonality, use of local produce and outstanding retail display. Entrants must be able to show a clear commitment to excellence in fresh food provision across all areas of the store.

This prestigious award category is open to retail groups of all sizes and will celebrate the groups which have done something innovative, new, creative, profitable, and progressive during the course of the past year. The judges will be looking for the things you did that were different to what your competitors were doing. In short, what makes your retail group stand out from the crowd?

This award category is open to all discount stores, and will recognise and showcase excellence in a wide variety of areas, including outstanding customer service, commitment to excellence in the provision of high-quality food and superior retail display, and the development of effective sustainability strategies.

This award is designed to recognise the very best in fresh food retailing. The winner of this award will be a thriving fresh food retail chain offering some or all of the following – fruit and veg, meat, fish and poultry, dairy, and baked goods. Judges will be looking for quality, seasonality, use of local produce and innovative retail display. Entrants must be able to show a clear commitment to excellence in fresh food provision across all areas of theirs stores.

This category celebrates those retailers who put local at the centre of everything they do and have a strong involvement in their community, engaging regularly with local suppliers. Judges will be looking for retailers who really make that extra effort to communicate to consumers, encouraging them to buy local as much as possible.

Private label is increasingly being seen as a benchmark-setter in Irish grocery retail. The judges in this award category will be looking for interesting innovation, creative product design, excellence in food quality and taste, and availability at a competitive price point.

This category is open to providers of fresh produce to the grocery retail sector, including suppliers of fruit and veg, meat, fish and poultry, dairy, and baked goods. Award entries should outline how the supplier in question has delivered cost savings and efficiency improvements for the retailer/supplier(s) that it works with, using examples if possible.