Two Offaly winners at Blas na hÉireann
There were two Offaly winners at Blas na hÉireann 2024, the Irish food awards, which took place from Thursday October 3 to Saturday October 5.
The winners from Offaly were Pigs On The Green and Bon Chocolatiers with Bon Chocolatiers awarded Best in County.
“We are delighted to see Bon Chocolatiers win the 2024 Blas na hÉireann, Best in County Awards." 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”.
Bon Chocolatiers is an artisan chocolate business run by Athlonians Georgia Quealy and Daniel Linehan based in Church Road, Tullamore.
Pigs on the Green is a free range pork producer operated by Fergus and Sandra Dunne on their farm in Tullamore.
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.”
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.