Arán Bakery & Bistro win Supreme Champion for a second time!
Blas na hÉireann 2026 winners announced in Dingle, with 8 producers from Co. Kilkenny taking home awards and Arán Bakery & Bistro winning Best in County, proudly supported by Kilkenny Local Enterprise Office
Dingle was the place to be on Friday 2nd October for the eagerly anticipated finals of Blas na hÉireann, The Irish Food Awards, now in their 19th year and firmly established as the largest and most influential food awards on the island of Ireland.
This year, 9 producers from Co. Kilkenny were shortlisted across a wide range of categories, with 8 of them taking home coveted Blas awards. The bronze, silver and gold winners from the county include:
Arán Bakery & Bistro, Callan Bacon, Goatsbridge Fish Processors Ltd, Highbank Orchard, Karro Food Ltd – Cookstown, Lekker Food Collection, McCarthy’s SuperValu Newpark Shopping Centre Kilkenny and Tirlán.
Arán Bakery & Bistro was awarded Best in County, proudly sponsored by Kilkenny Local Enterprise Office and took home the coveted Supreme Champion award for the second time – a first in the history of the awards!
“To win Supreme Champion once was an incredible honour, but to come back four years later and win it again is something we never could have imagined,” said Bart Pawlukojc, co-founder and owner of Arán Bakery & Bistro. “But more than anything, this win is for our bakery team. We simply would never have been able to achieve something like this without the incredible people behind our bread every single day. Their talent, dedication, passion and hard work are what have made this possible, and seeing that recognised at this level is incredibly special.
We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve built in Kilkenny, but even more proud of the people who make it happen every day. This award is a reflection of their commitment and everything they pour into their craft. It feels like all of that hard work is finally coming to fruition, and we couldn’t be happier to celebrate this achievement with them.
Blas na hÉireann has always been about celebrating the very best Irish food and producers, and to now be the first to win Supreme Champion twice is a very special achievement. But for us, this win belongs to our bakery team. It is their win, and it is for every single person who gets up each day, works incredibly hard and puts their heart into what we do.”
“It was fantastic for the LEO to be part of Blas na hÉireann once again and to play a role in recognising some of the county’s outstanding food businesses.” said John Mulcahy, Kilkenny LEO. “Events like the awards shine a well-deserved spotlight on the talent, innovation and dedication that exists within Kilkenny’s food sector. The standard of entries continues to impress, reflecting the quality of producers we have right here in the county. A huge congratulations to everyone who took part and to all of our local winners and finalists – their success is something the whole county can celebrate.”
2026 marks another record year for Blas na hÉireann, with over 3,000 entries across more than 200 categories, reflecting the strength and diversity of Irish food and drink.
This year’s finalists and winners had the opportunity to bring their products to life at the Blas Village and the ever-popular Eat Ireland in a Day market, both returning to Dingle alongside the annual Backyard at Blas panel discussions, supported by Bank of Ireland. Across the weekend, producers connected with buyers, industry experts, media, fellow producers and passionate food lovers, while celebrating the people, creativity and craft at the heart of Ireland’s thriving food and drink scene.
Speaking after the announcement, Artie Clifford, Chairperson of Blas na hÉireann, said: “2026 has once again shown us just how exciting and dynamic Ireland’s food and drink industry is. The standard of entries continues to climb, with producers demonstrating incredible creativity and a real commitment to quality. Reaching the finalist stage is a remarkable achievement in itself, and to take home a Blas award is brilliant recognition of the hard work and passion that goes into every product. It’s particularly special to see producers from across the country come together in Dingle to share their stories, celebrate their successes and champion the very best of Irish food and drink. Blas is about much more than awards – it’s about celebrating the people and community behind one of Ireland’s most exciting industries. Next year we will celebrate 20 years of the awards and it’s incredible to see just how far we’ve come in those two decades.”
The Blas na hÉireann awards weekend ran from Thursday 1st to Sunday 4th October in Dingle, with a packed programme of events shining a spotlight on the very best of Irish food and drink. Sustainability once again remained a key focus, with the event continuing to build on its waste-free commitments and support a more conscious future for Irish food.
ENDS
#Blas2026
@BlasNaHEireann
Notes to Editors
Blas na hÉireann, The Irish Food Awards, are the largest food awards on the island of Ireland, open to all 32 counties. Judging took place during June and July in partnership with UCC. Finalists were announced in mid-August. Awards were presented in Dingle on Friday 2nd October, with the Blas weekend (Blas Village, Showcase, Awards & Eat Ireland in a Day) running from Thursday 1st to Sunday 4th October.
For more information or imagery contact:
Aygün Ipek, Host, aygun@hostandcompany.ie
Did you know you can also find our winners in each county by searching our map, pinpointing the very best of Irish producers? Search the map here
The Best in Kilkenny award at Blas na hÉireann is supported by Kilkenny LEO
You can find details of Kilkenny LEO here
info@leo.kilkennycoco.ie
(056) 7752662
