Blas na hÉireann 2024 finalists & winners celebrated in Dingle, with 9 producers winning from County Kildare supported by Kildare LEO

Blas na hÉireann 2024, the Irish food awards, took place from Thursday 3rd October to Saturday 5th October, celebrating the very best of Irish food and drink. 

The winners from Co. Kildare are Killadoon Milk, O'Brien Fine Foods, Coghlans Bakery Products Ltd, The Brown Bread Guy, Daisy Desserts, Couverture Desserts Ltd, Wild Women Bitters Ltd, trading as Beara Bitters, Rye River and Dew Drop Inn with Killadoon Milk awarded Best in County.

"Killadoon Milk are excellent ambassadors for the food and beverage sector in Co. Kildare." said Jacqui McNabb, Head of Enterprise, Economic Development and Tourism with Kildare County Council’s Local Enterprise Office. "Not only does their product taste great, but their production model is also an excellent example of food provenance, innovation, and sustainability in the sector."

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.The Backyard at Blas, in partnership with Bank of Ireland delivered an impressive lineup of key industry speakers once again, both in person to the attendees and live streamed. 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.