Two Offaly food producers win at Blas awards
There were 3,000 entries from around Ireland judged
TWO Offaly food producers were awarded prizes at the Blas na hÉireann 2024 Irish food awards, which took place from Thursday October 3 to Saturday October 5, celebrating the best of Irish food and drink.
The winners from Co. Offaly were Pigs On The Green and Bon Chocolatiers.
Bon Chocolatiers were awarded Best in County.
“We are delighted to see Bon Chocolatiers win the 2024 Blas na hÉireann, Best in CountyAwards." said Orla Martin, Offaly Head of Enterprise. "Congratulations to Pigs On The Green and Bon Chocolatiers on this achievement, which is a wonderful recognition of their talent and commitment. We wish them continued success and look forward to working with them as they grow their business. Offaly has a strong network of ambitious food enterprises and we in LEO Offaly feel privileged to be working with them all”.
Speaking as the winners were announced, Blas na hÉireann Chairperson, Artie Clifford said, “We are once again delighted to celebrate such deserving winners at Blas na hÉireann 2024. After 17 years of these awards, it’s inspiring to witness the continued innovation and quality in our food and drink industry here on the island of Ireland. Every year, the standard is raised even higher, and it’s an honor for myself and the entire Blas team to showcase these exceptional products and the dedicated producers behind them to a wider audience.”
Blas na hÉireann 2024 saw the return of the Blas Village where this year’s finalists got the opportunity to showcase their products, engage with customers and meet key industry buyers. The festival focused market ‘Eat Ireland in a Day’ was back for a third year and included a brand new Meet the Maker stage.
Lucy Ryan, Head of Food and Beverage Sector, Bank of Ireland said: “The growth of Blas na hÉireann each year is testament to the strength of the indigenous food and drink industry, with the ever-expanding number of producers continuing to innovate, and impress the judges with the range of their ambition. Bank of Ireland is delighted to continue supporting Blas na hÉireann, and congratulates all the award winners for the sustained excellence of their entries.”
Now in its 17th year, Blas na hÉireann saw another strong year across all categories along with many new producers entering the awards for the first time this year. During the judging, which took place throughout June and July, over 3,000 entries were judged. Products from every county in Ireland were entered to win bronze, silver or gold awards in over 170 food and drink categories as well as key awards. As the competition intensifies each year, earning the prestigious Blas accreditation is a significant accomplishment, signifying that the shortlisted finalists and eventual winners represent the pinnacle of excellence in Irish food and drink.