Eleven finalists representing Kildare in The Blas na hÉireann food awards 2024

The best in Kildare category sponsored by Kildare’s Local Enterprise Office

The finalists for Blas na hÉireann, The Irish Food Awards, 2024 have been announced, including 11 from County Kildare.  The countdown is now on for another exciting awards weekend in the pretty seaside town of Dingle. The three-day event will take place from Thursday 3rd to Saturday 5th October.  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. Over 3,000 entries were judged, a testament to the number of brilliant producers across the country.

Jacqui Mc Nabb, Head of Enterprise, Economic Development & Tourism, Kildare County Council commented: "We are delighted to see 11 finalists in this year's Blas na hÉireann, The Irish Food Awards, and are proud to be sponsoring, for the very first time, best in Kildare, to celebrate the food provenance, taste and above all the passion and talent of our Kildare food & drink producers."

The finalists shortlisted from Co. Kildare across a range of different categories are Bird's Eye Frozen Foods, Coghlan’s Artisan Bakery, Couverture Handmade Desserts & Cakes, Daisy Desserts (dessert trailer), Firecastle (artisan grocers, delicatessen, bakery and café), Killadoon Milk, (pasteurised, non-homogenised whole milk from their single source jersey-cross herd, using reusable glass bottles),  O'Brien Fine Foods (premium cooked meats), Pro-Bars Ltd, (Harte’s of Kildare Restaurant), Rye River Craft Brewing, The Brown Bread Guy, and Beara Bitters, handmade cocktail bitters.

Speaking as the finalists were announced, Artie Clifford, Chairperson, Blas na hÉireann 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 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. A 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.

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!