Blás na hÉireann Food Awards for long-running enterprises and new businesses
The two major accolades at the Blás na hÉireann Food Awards 2025 in Dingle, Co Kerry, were shared between an aristocrat of the Irish food world and a relatively new business that was born out of a lockdown project.
Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers, from Co Tipperary, who have been making world-renowned Cashel Blue cheese since 1984, won the prestigious Best Artisan Producer accolade while Bon Chocolatiers, from Co Offaly, founded during lockdown in 2020 by a young couple, Georgia Quealy and Daniel Linehan, who met at college while training to be chefs, were crowned Supreme Champion for their superb chocolates.
The Blás Village is a cluster of marquees at the top of the town, showcasing winners’ food products and hosting the Backyard at Blás panel discussions.
At times on Friday, it seemed that Storm Amy was doing her best to get into the main marquee where awards were being announced.
Snapping and flapping and ripping at the sides of the tent, the space was probably too packed to accommodate yet another guest, even one as persistent as Amy.
There was a time, in the early years of the competition, when Cork completely dominated the rest of the country but that is now long over, showing just how far the Irish food producer movement has grown throughout Ireland.
While the Rebel County notched up a highly creditable 32 prizewinners, with Skeaghanore Duck as County Champion, Dublin trumped that as the county with most winners — 61 — with Noisette Artisan Bakery, picking up best in Dublin county.
It was especially pleasing to see the evolution of the food producer movement in Co Tipperary in recent years, with 18 prizewinners out of 21 entries, with Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers announced as County Champion, before eventually also procuring their prestigious national prize.
Elsewhere in Munster, Clare had four prizewinners, with Burren Smokehouse as County Champion; Kerry had 11 prizewinners, with Quinlan’s Kerry Fish, the County Champion; Limerick’s four prizewinners included Kearney’s Home Baking Ltd as County Champion; and of Waterford’s eight prizewinners, Sophie’s Taste Creations were crowned County Champion for their range of gluten-free and sugar-free cakes.
This year, the 18th outing for the Blás na hÉireann Food Awards, attracted over 3,000 entries from all 32 counties before eventually being whittled down to 387 finalists, with 305 of those earning either bronze, silver, or gold awards, with many winners taking to various hostelries around the town to celebrate their triumphs.
Artie Clifford, Chair of the Blás Awards, said: “I get a little bit emotional when I think of the journey we have taken, beginning in a single room in a hotel 18 years ago to this, a whole ‘village’ within Dingle town dedicated to the achievements of Irish food.”
And though Storm Amy was still panting her way up and down the streets of Dingle and seeking a foothold in every single nook and cranny, the worst of it appeared past, as Artie said: “As you know, you can’t buy the weather and, even if you could, there’s no guarantee of how it will behave.
"We’ve been getting hourly updates ever since the warnings were first announced and had a Plan B in place, just in case.
“It would have been very disappointing to have to shut down the tented village but people’s safety is always our primary concern.
"The worst of it seems to have taken a swerve up to the North-West, giving us a break, and let’s hope that it doesn’t cause to much damage elsewhere in the country, but we’ll all be celebrating in Dingle tonight.”
