Six Offaly finalists in Blas na hÉireann awards

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, October 3, to Saturday, October 5. 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.

"Local Enterprise Offaly is delighted to see six finalist producers in the Blas na hÉireann awards this year, showcasing the fantastic array of locally produced food & drink available in Offaly." said Orla Martin of Offaly LEO.

"Throughout Offaly, producers are building on a rich legacy of high quality food production and are embracing innovation to produce exciting, sustainable, and nutritious food products. Here in the Local Enterprise Office, we are committed to growing the dynamic food sector in the county and supporting food producers as they start-up, expand and export to new markets. The Blas na hÉireann awards are a celebration of best in class for these food businesses and we are delighted to be involved by sponsoring the overall Best in Offaly award"

The six finalists shortlisted from Offaly across a range of different categories are Feighery's Farm Beetroot Juice Ltd, Fox Covert Farm, Glen field rapeseed oil, Glenisk, O'Donohues Bakery Ltd and Pigs On The Green.

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.

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 but the people themselves who will be recognised and rewarded.