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. Monaghan 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:
Carleton
Cakes, Connolly Meats, Connolly Organic Eggs, Foraged & Infused, IGWT
Poultry, Lakeland Dairies, Silver Hill and Tara Gartlan Chocolate.
Tara
Gartlan was awarded Best in County, proudly sponsored by Monaghan Local
Enterprise Office.
“We
are absolutely delighted to see Tara Gartlan Chocolate recognised with a Best
in County award for Monaghan at this year’s Blas na hÉireann Awards.” said
Pamela Kerr, Head of Enterprise, Monaghan LEO. “This achievement is a
testament to Tara’s dedication, creativity and unwavering commitment to
producing exceptional artisan chocolate. Tara has been a valued client of Local
Enterprise Office Monaghan and has engaged with a wide range of supports on her
business journey. It has been wonderful to watch the business grow and develop,
building a strong reputation for quality while proudly representing Monaghan on
a national stage. This award is thoroughly deserved and highlights the
incredible talent and innovation that exists within our local food sector. On
behalf of everyone at Local Enterprise Office Monaghan in Monaghan County
Council, I would like to congratulate Tara on this fantastic success and wish
her every continued success as the business goes from strength to
strength.”
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
Best in Monaghan at Blas na hÉireann is supported by Monaghan LEO
You can find details on Monaghan LEO here
info@leo.monaghancoco.ie
047 71818
Monaghan