A brand new and exciting addition to the Blas na hÉireann weekend of events.

All roads will lead to Dingle in the autumn as the awards weekend returns to Dingle for their first in-person event in two years. Regarded by many as a key event in the Irish food industry’s calendar Blas na hÉireann, like so many others, celebrated their finalists and winners online for the past two years leaving a significant gap in the food and drink calendar. We are delighted to see the welcome return of this important weekend of celebrations, and the great and good of the Irish food and drinks scene will descend on Dingle once more.

“We’re absolutely delighted to be planning our awards in Dingle this year,” says Blas na hÉireann Chairman, Artie Clifford. “We were lucky to have been able to move quickly in 2020 and while we were in a position to run our judging throughout the summer months in the last two years, we weren’t able to welcome everyone together for the networking and awards. We are proud of the celebrations that we hosted online, and the awards were a huge success, managing to highlight the best of Irish food and drink during a really difficult time. The one thing that was said over and over to us though was that people missed being in Dingle, so we can’t wait to welcome our Blas family home this year and celebrate our 2022 finalists in person.”

What’s happening…

We are building an exciting new venue in the heart of Dingle town, The Blas Village, which includes both the Blas na hÉireann Finalist Arena and Eat Ireland in Day

Blas na hÉireann Finalist Arena – this area is exclusive for Blas na hÉireann Finalists, Industry, Press & Guests
This venue will house the spaces for Blas na hÉireann finalists to meet with the journalists, buyers and industry who travel to Dingle on that weekend and will include;  

• Awards venue (awards will be announced on Friday 30^th)
• Finalist Showcase and networking areas
• Blas Backyard, supported by Bank of Ireland – a space where producers can join to meet, listen to panel discussions and speakers from industry

These areas will be exclusively for Blas na hÉireann finalists and guests and will be open on Thursday 29^th, Friday 30^th & Saturday 1^st of October.

Eat Ireland in a Day – the newest addition to the Blas Village
There will be a new space which will be open to all festival visitors which will showcase Blas na hÉireann finalists and winners.

This space will be called Eat Ireland in a Day and will house 4 5m x 5m tents. Each of the 4 tents house producers from one of the 4 provinces of Ireland.
Each provincial tent has spaces for 6 producer showcase spaces from each province.

This is an exciting new opportunity which for the first time allows the Blas Village to open up to the public over the weekend of the awards and Dingle Food Festival.

Dates & Times

These venues will be open as follows;

Thursday 29^th: Evening only, open for press & buyer visits – this is not a trading time but a showcase to buyers and press
Friday 30^th: 10am – 6pm
Saturday 1^st & Sunday 2^nd October: 11am – 5pm

In addition to the tents there will be an interactive area where producers will rotate on a Meet the Maker space.
In this space producers will be interview in front of attendees on the craft and skills involved in their produce.

Eat Ireland in a Day will celebrate the finalists at the awards and showcase to the festival attendees (both visitors and local audience) the quality food & drinks which have reached the finalist stage of this all island competition.

Eligibility: To be eligible an exhibiting producer must be a 2022 finalist or a finalist (or a winner from 2021 or 2020 when live events did not take place)

Ideally, we would like to work with food networks who will co-ordinate their producers within their space, this will allow for a rotation of producers on the stand should they so wish.

Cost: €900 which includes a 1m space (as outlined below) and covers Friday, Saturday & Sunday (Thursday evening press event also)

The practical:

• Each pagoda tent will have 6 producer display stands which are 1m wide
• Each stand will be branded with the producer logo (this can be amended daily if producers are rotating)
• There will be access to electricity & refrigeration (limited refrigeration which must be pre-booked)
• We also have supports in place to assist with accommodation, parking on site for exhibitors, etc

How to apply: Email your interest to Artie & Fallon on events@irishfoodawards.com

At the moment we are looking for an expression of interest and we will work in more detail with those who are interested in taking part with drawings of the layout, graphics, etc.

There are a very busy few weeks coming up as we prepare for initial judging with locations in Dublin & Cork. We have entries which have come in from all across Ireland and as always we are encouraging food producers to share deliveries for initial judging where you can.

The most important thing for us is that your sample arrives on time, at its very best and ready to be tasted.

• It does not have to be delivered by the producer.
• It can arrive by post, by courier or indeed in a shared delivery with another producer from your locality (In fact this is encouraged!)

If you have a delivery to Blas na hÉireann initial judging and would be interested in getting in touch with another producer from your area let us know…

We can either share your details on this post and on our socials or if you prefer we can simply keep a note and connect you with other producers in the background you may be delivering.

Every year, we are delighted to see more and more producers work together and share the load! (and maybe even build some new relationships with local colleagues in the food business).

If you would like to share delivery email us to admin@irishfoodawards.com,

Be sure to include either your producer name or entry number (from that we will know where you are travelling from) and it’s important to let us know if…

1. You are travelling and happy to bring another producers delivery
2. You are looking to connect with someone who may be travelling

In the meantime some important details for delivery….

Check your dates and locations for delivery

The most important things to remember when prepping for delivery is the following; 

• Your entry number must be included on each sample, clearly.  
• Please note products can be delivered in their own packaging or plain packaging, we will unpack and prepare for blind tasting 
• 3 samples of each product entered are required (In the case where your product is over 1 kilo in weight, please deliver 2 samples only) 
• Best Before date must be included with all deliveries 
• All chilled products should arrive at the correct temperature for storage and will be checked on delivery 
• All products should be delivered with maximum shelf life (although remember these samples will be tasted on the same day) 
• Any products which do not adhere to the delivery terms or which are not delivered on time may be disqualified from the competition.  
  
  Also, don’t forget that You Chill, We Deliver offer a courier service from Dublin to Cork for Chill, Frozen and Ambient. You can find more details on this here
  

Indie Füde, Independent Food Co. in Belfast has been named as Blas na hÉireann Producers’ Champion for 2022 with business partners Laura Bradley and Johnny McDowell noted for their dedication to the best of everything Irish and independent.

The Producers’ Champion is selected annually by Blas na hÉireann producers, based on a survey that goes out to the entire Blas network — a network that covers every county in Ireland with producers from across the food industry.

Nominees for Producers’ Champion are put forward by producers early in the year, asked to nominate those they believe are representing and supporting their produce and the produce of other Irish food makers and growers in an effective and helpful way.

The 2022 Champion, Indie Füde started out as an online business in 2014 created by Johnny McDowell, an accountant with a passion for sourcing and selling the finest Irish food and ingredients. Johnny connected with former food blogger and now business partner Laura Bradley on social media, inviting her to test some of his finest products at a new pop-up shop he had established. After becoming a regular customer and with her valuable expertise, Johnny invited Laura to work for him and they haven’t looked back since.

The incredible selection of local produce proved so popular that Indie Füde moved to a larger, high street location in 2018. Indie Füde Comber is in the heart of the community and is packed full of over 700 independent artisan Irish products with the team there hosting regular tastings and meet the maker events.

Following their huge success in Comber, Johnny and Laura opened “The Cheese Edition” on the Ormeau Road in Belfast in December 2020 where the focus is mainly on the very best of Irish cheese and where every member of the team is also a member of the Academy of Cheese, meaning all customers have the experience of benefitting from in-depth knowledge about cheese and cheese makers as they shop (with the added bonus of coffee and treats too!)

“Indie Füde wouldn’t exist without the incredible producers we stock in both our shops and online store,” says Laura Bradley, “so it’s a wonderful thing to be voted Producers’ Champion by the very people who brought this business to life, and we are so happy and proud that what we do at Indie Füde is valued and recognised by the producers we work with every day.”

“It’s fantastic to be named as Blas na hÉireann Producers’ Champion for 2022,” adds Johnny McDowell. “We love being at the centre of the community in both Comber and on the Ormeau Road with the opportunity that brings to showcase some of the exceptional Irish produce available on the island. We’re honoured to be part of the Irish food scene and it’s a pleasure to have our efforts acknowledged in this way. Working with our amazing team who are just as passionate about Irish food as we are is a joy, as is working with the wonderful extended community of artisan producers from all over Ireland.”

“Johnny and Laura at Indie Füde are so deserving of this award,” says Artie Clifford, Chairman of Blas na hÉireann. “We saw a big trend in nominations this year towards independent retailers, which was an interesting shift in emphasis. Producers themselves know the value that having stock on shelves can do for their product and having independent retailers investing in and believing in them — that commitment is priceless. I think consumers have reconnected with their local independent retailers over the past two years too, and value the knowledge and appreciate the time they get when they shop local. This is a really positive sign and with people like Johnny and Laura leading the charge in expertise and commitment to Irish producers, everyone is a winner.”

Joining past Producers’ Champions like Simon Coveney TD, Neven Maguire, John & Sally McKenna, Shane McArdle, Kai’s Jess Murphy, Darina Allen, Rory O’Connell and Rachel Allen and last year’s winner, Brian McDermott, Johnny and Laura at Indie Füde are keeping very good company indeed.

Final call for entries to Blas na hÉireann 2022 – closing date is 20^th May and costs €80 per entry (ex VAT).https://www.irishfoodawards.com

In recent weeks The Phoenix Cinema in Dingle has been on the news quite a bit, the independent family owned cinema is reaching the end of one chapter and a community group in Dingle has been formed with the hope of beginning a new one. Their goal is to purchase the cinema from the Sullivan family and to keep it going both as a cinema but also as a venue, community space and home for arts and culture in Dingle.

If you haven’t yet seen or heard any of the news then this interview with Ray D’Arcy and two of the committee members Tor Cotton and Aoife Granville is well worth a listen: Listen here

Since the coverage we have received a couple of lovely calls and messages from producers who have happy memories of collecting their awards in Dingle and wanted to know how they could support.

We have been directing them to the committee site https://www.phoenixdingle.ie/ where there is lots more information as well as a link to donate.

It also got us looking back at videos from the awards presentations and watching this back makes us even more excited to be welcoming everyone back in person to Dingle this year. You can find the videos here
Blas na hÉireann 2018 – awards highlights
Blas na hÉireann 2019 – awards highlights

If you want to know a little about what the cinema means to all of us at Blas personally you can read more here

There are a few key details to check:

1. Check your delivery date and location. We have different dates & locations planned by category, these are crucial. Please check these on your delivery label and you can also find them here
   
2. Keep deliveries simple and we are asking producers to be especially mindful of deliveries and to use courier or postal delivery where possible & practical. In the case of large single deliveries from one producer, we will work with you to confirm an agreed delivery date and time.
   
3. Please note products should be delivered as they are presented in their packaging to the customer. 
   Our team will unpack and prepare for blind tasting.
   Please be sure to include your entry number on each sample
   
4. 3 samples of each product entered are required  
   (In the case where your product is over 1 kilo in weight, please deliver 2 samples only)
   Remember, include your entry number on each sample please
   
5. Best Before date must be included with all deliveries and all entries should be delivered with maximum possible shelflife.
   
6. All chilled products should arrive at the correct temperature for storage and will be checked on delivery.
   You can find some helpful info on chilled delivery options here
   
7. Any products which do not adhere to the delivery terms or which are not delivered on time will be disqualified from the competition.

If you have questions just ask us
If you have different delivery dates or locations, we will make every effort to consolidate if we can, just ask us
If you are unsure about anything in the above, just ask us

Fallon – 087 9029329
Artie – 087 2026420
info@irishfoodawards.com

Last year, when we could not gather together for the awards we visited producers to compile some short films as an insight to what Blas means to them. We also asked what it means to them when a customer chooses to support their business

Every time a customer chooses the very best of Irish food & drinks, into your basket or onto your table it means the world to the producers all across Ireland. The support in Ireland for local producers throughout 2020 & 2021 has been incredible, here’s to that continued support of Irish food & drinks for 2022

A massive thank you to those who took part….

Barry from Fitzgerald’s Butchers in Fermoy

David from Mauds Icecream in Carrickfergus

Fiona & Malcolm from Wild About in Gorey

Geraldine from Stonewell Cider in Cork

Graham from The Cupcake Bloke in Rialto

Kevin from Gloun Cross Dairy in Dunmanway

Laura & Tom from Wexford Home Preserves in New Ross

Pauline from Killowen Farm in Enniscorthy

Tom & Norma from Bó Rua in Ballynoe (Fermoy)

The Backyard at Blas is back with a spring programme of learning, sharing insights, positive chats and conversations.
Who better to hear from than the wonderful bunch of people that producers have told us have been their heroes and supporters.

In 2021 we asked producers’ to nominate people who they felt were doing their utmost to support and promote Irish food. It was very clear that local support was invaluable to producers and this was evident in the suggestions that came back from producers. So much so that rather than just one name coming forward from the nominations, they saw a dream team of champions being suggested all across the country who had supported producers in a very tough year.

Brian mcDermott was announced as the overall Producers’ Champion alongside a dream team of champions who have supported producers through the past few very tough years. Read more on this here

As we started to plan for Blas 2022, beginning with our spring programme, we couldn’t think of anyone else we would rather learn from!

The Backyard at Blas is a space full of positive conversation, learning and support for food & drink producers.
Our spring sessions are open to all producers and are a chance to gain knowledge and find support for your business. 

The spring sessions will take place online. We will have a series of talks asking these Irish food champions to share what they see as special, what makes something great in their eyes.

We will be looking at the perspectives of chefs, buyers, writers, distributors, business experts.
The focus will be on sharing with the producers what they can do to be successful in the eyes of the industry.

The sessions are open to all Irish food & drink producers, you can register here.

If you can’t make it at the scheduled time you can still register and we will share the recording afterwards
The sessions are free to attend and the online learning has been supported by Taste4Success Skillnet.

The line up
Please note there are some more to be announced

Monday 7th March
11am – Brian McDermott – Product Development – What are they keys to successful new development

Wednesday 9th March
9.30am – GastroGays – Russell & Patrick chat about what makes successful social media
11am – Conor Spacey – Responsible sourcing in a kitchen
1pm – Ciara Leahy – What makes a great story

Thursday 10th March
10am – Johnny from Indie Fude on working with an independent retailer
12noon – Gaz Smith chats about how to approach a chef

Friday 11th March
9.30am – Sean Hussey, Hussey Fruit & Veg on the challenges of distribution
11am – Oonagh Monahan on the business of food 
12 noon – Joe McNamee chats about introducing a new product to the marketplace: How to directly target both ordinary consumers and also restaurant chefs to build brand recognition

Tuesday 15th March
11am – Olivia Duff from The Boyne Valley Food Series on the importance of a network for food producer, how to work within a network

Register here.