Dingle Food Festival conjures sunshine as Munster businesses bag Blas na hÉireann awards

A multiplicity of delicious food options saw the entire town packed from the highest hill right down to the harbour

Sun, 06 Oct, 2024 - 21:00

Once again, the Dingle Food Festival managed the impossible and conjured up several blissful hours of sunshine on Sunday following a weekend that had arrived festooned in orange weather warnings and with a promise of biblical deluges.

Having threatened to wash away entirely the street food stalls and traders on the Taste Trail that snaked through the entire town, there was rain aplenty on the Saturday morning but that didn’t deter the doughty diners bearing reusable bamboo bowls and keep cups for coffees.

A multiplicity of delicious food options, much of it from Dingle peninsula and its hinterland, and Sunday’s better weather again saw the entire town packed from the highest hill right down to the harbour.

The festival of course runs in tandem with the annual Blás na hÉireann awards, now in its 17th year, with judges running the rule over 3,000 plus food products from the entire 32 counties, all aiming to win bronze, silver, or gold awards in over 170 food and drink categories.

Once again Cork put in a strong showing, with 36 of the county’s food and beverage producers picking up awards, while the top overall national awards went to Munster producers with Rívesci, from Co Tipperary, crowned as Supreme Champion for their smoked chilli oil, and Valentia Island Vermouth, from Co Kerry, announced as Best Artisan Producer. Blas na hÉireann chairman Artie Clifford said:

It’s inspiring to witness the continued innovation and quality in the Irish food and drink industry, with the standard rising each year and myself and the entire Blas team are honoured to showcase these exceptional products and the dedicated producers behind them to a wider audience.

The Blás Village where finalists got the opportunity to showcase their products, engage with customers and meet key industry buyers, was once again a hive of activity over the weekend while the towns pubs and restaurants were packed both day and night, most especially on Friday and Saturday night as delighted award winners celebrated with locals and a huge influx of visitors to the town alike.

A previous finalist and gold medal winner at the Blas na hÉireann awards, Rívesci was started by Shannon Forest and Declan Malone as a food truck before lockdown forced the company to pivot to become full-time condiment makers, and Forrest was visibly moved when the Supreme Champion accolade was announced.

“We are thrilled and deeply honoured,” said the pair. “This recognition means the world to us and is a testament to the hard work, passion, and dedication we pour into all our products. To be acknowledged among so many talented producers across Ireland is a huge achievement and we are incredibly proud to represent the very best of Irish food and drink.”

It has also been a great year for Anna and Orla Snook O’Carroll of Valentia Island Vermouth, a craft vermouth company they founded on Valentia Island, in Co Kerry, with their very popular drink proving very popular with imbibers the length and breadth of the country.

“This is such an incredible honour for us both and our vermouth,” they said.

"We love being part of the Blas na hÉireann family and celebrating each year in Dingle with our peers so to take home the Best Artisan award is a dream come true. We take immense pride in using locally sourced ingredients to create Valentia Island Vermouth so to be recognised alongside so many outstanding producers is a huge achievement for us.”

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