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, 16 producers from Co. Galway were shortlisted across a wide range of categories, with 14 of them taking home coveted Blas awards. The bronze, silver and gold winners from the county include:
An Feirmeoir Beag Glas, Builín Blasta, Crust Gluten Free, DK Connemara Oysters, Galmere Fresh Foods, Galway Cheese, Grá Chocolates, Ivy House Chocolates, Kylemore Abbey & Gardens Ltd., Loughnanes of Galway, The Dough Bros, The Foods of Athenry, The Lán Kitchen, and Williams Gate.
The Lán Kitchen was awarded Best in County, proudly sponsored by Galway Local Enterprise Office.
“On behalf of Local Enterprise Office Galway, I would like to warmly congratulate Arlene and The Lán Kitchen on being named Best in Galway at the Blas na hÉireann Awards 2026.” said Caroline McDonagh, Head of Enterprise, Galway LEO. “This award is a wonderful recognition of Arlene’s exceptional talent, creativity and commitment to quality artisan baking. Through her innovative and beautifully crafted products, she has built a distinctive Galway food business that combines skill, passion and originality. We are delighted to see her achievements recognised on a national stage and wish Arlene and The Lán Kitchen every continued success in the years ahead.”
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 finalists & winners in each county by searching our map, pinpointing the very best of Irish producers? Search the map here
The Best in Galway award is supported by Galway LEO
You can find details of Galway Local Enterprise Office here
091 509090
info@leo.galwaycoco.ie
