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Aoife McManus, 16 Aug
The finalists for Blas na hÉireann, The Irish Food Awards, 2024 have
been announced and the countdown is now on for another exciting and
joyous awards weekend in the pretty seaside town of Dingle. The
three-day event will take place from Thursday 3rd October to Saturday
5th October. The excitement is already building and the Blas team are
hard at work preparing for the arrival of food and drink producers from
across Ireland to celebrate the very best of Irish.
Now in its 17th year, Blas na hÉireann saw another record-breaking year
across all categories along with many new producers entering the awards
for the first time this year. During the judging, which took place in
June and July, over 3,000 entries were judged, testament to the number
of brilliant producers across the country.
The 9 finalists shortlisted from Co.Derry across a range of different
categories are Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil, Carol's Stock Market,
Carrick Foods, Corndale Farm, Morelli Ice Cream Ltd, Mullin's Ice
Cream, Taste Joy Company Ltd, U-BAKE and Vittle Bakeshop.
Speaking as the finalists were announced, Blas na hÉireann Chairperson,
Artie Clifford said, “I started the awards after 30 years in the food
industry, and I knew there was a need to celebrate the amazing food and
drink being produced on the island of Ireland. 17 years later, it
continues to delight me the number of new producers entering each year
along with so many familiar faces returning year on year. We are an
island of phenomenal producers and should be very proud of that, being
able to showcase the very best of the best in Dingle each year is a
real privilege for the whole Blas team.”
This year’s Blas na hÉireann awards in Dingle will see the return of
Eat Ireland in a Day market and the Blas Village where the 2024
finalists will get the opportunity to showcase their products, engage
with customers and meet key industry buyers. This year's focus will be
on sustainability with a commitment to encourage zero-waste throughout
the three days of the awards in line with the Dingle Food Festival
ethos. One new element at Blas will be the removal of any single use
cups and the introduction of the first electric van delivering food and
drink to the awards from across the country. These new initiatives are
supported by Bank of Ireland in partnership with Blas.
With over 3,000 products entered in this year’s Blas na hÉireann,
making it as a finalist is a huge achievement and one to be very proud
of. The competition ramps up year on year, meaning those producers who
are shortlisted as finalists really are the crème de la crème of Irish
food and drink. For finalist producers it is not just their exceptional
food and drink which will be celebrated in Dingle but the people
themselves, the passionate producers who make the very best of Irish
will be recognised and rewarded making Blas na hÉireann 2024 a food
event not to be missed!