A celebration of craft and flavour
Now in its 18th year, the Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Awards have become one of the most anticipated events on the Irish food calendar.
Every October, Irish food makers and food lovers descend on Dingle to experience the best of Irish fare and champion the people behind every product.
Now in its 18th year, the Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Awards have become one of the most anticipated events on the Irish foodie calendar. They’re a showcase of the rich diversity of Ireland’s food landscape and over 180 food and drink categories - from breads to butters, chocolates to cheeses - are featured.
The weekend in Dingle also offers producers the chance to meet other makers, build connections and showcase their products. It’s about more than the sum of its parts. It has a reputation like no other and for good reason. What Artie, Fallon and the Blas team have created is a warm, open, collaborative experience where food and drink producers, retailers and media meet, chat and take the time to hear about each other’s businesses. It’s one part networking event, two parts group hug, where wins, losses and everything in between are discussed and celebrated.
Then there are the awards themselves. For the family-run businesses, food entrepreneurs, long-established legends and first-time entrants, a win at Blas is more than just a welcome endorsement, it can have a transformative effect on a business.
Earning a Blas na hÉireann badge can lead to immediate results, particularly for small producers, from new listings opportunities with retailers to increased visibility with buyers. It has an impact on customers too, as a Blas na hÉireann badge has long been a trusted statement of quality. It signals that the product has been judged by independent experts and ranked among the very best in the country.
One of the most heart-warming elements of the Blas na hÉireann weekend is standing in the crowded marquee on Friday and watching on as winning food business owners whoop with joy and even shed a few tears as their product names are called out from the list of awardees.
This year, the highest honour – Supreme Champion 2025, which is sponsored by Bord Bia – was awarded to Bon Chocolatiers, a luxury chocolate brand based in Tullamore, Co Offaly. The business was founded during lockdown in 2020 by young couple, Georgia Quealy and Daniel Linehan, who first met while training to be chefs.
There was a strange moment of anticlimax as nobody came forward to accept the award. The crowd hushed. The winners had missed their moment in the spotlight, but it turned out to be for good reason. When Artie explained they were busy bringing their brand-new baby home from hospital it got the biggest cheer of the night. Double congratulations and (somewhat calmer) celebrations for them.
Another highly coveted Blas na hÉireann accolade is the Best Artisan Producer 2025, which was sponsored this year by the LEO Network. A celebration of legacy in the Irish food and drink world, the 2025 winner was the iconic Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers, creators of Cashel Blue, Ireland’s original blue cheese. Over 40 years on from its founding by Louis and Jane Grubb, that business continues under the stewardship of Sarah Furno (Louis and Jane’s daughter) and her husband Sergio.
Together, they have expanded the range to include Crozier Blue, Ireland’s only sheep’s milk blue, Cashel Blue Organic, and Shepherd’s Store, a semi-hard sheep’s milk cheese. Decades after it was first founded, Cashel Blue is now a much-loved Irish icon and a deserving recipient of the Artisan Producer award.
At the heart of the Blas weekend in Dingle is the Blas Village. Part tasting room, part meeting point, it’s where retailers, buyers, journalists, and food lovers can sample award-winning goods and meet the makers behind them.
The Backyard at Blas, a series of informative talks supported by Bank of Ireland, are always popular, with appearances from industry experts, members of the media, producers and Blas mentors. It’s a chance to hear and get the inside track on different elements of the industry, pose questions directly to experts, and network. From explainers on new regulations, to advice on tapping into TikTok trends, it runs the gamut of need-to-know subjects.
One of the real highlights of the weekend is the Eat Ireland in a Day market. It’s a feast for the senses where visitors can stroll from stall to stall, sampling all sorts of artisan Irish produce, from smoked fish to soda bread, honey to hot sauce, all in one place. And as it all happens in Dingle ahead of the weekend of the wider Food Festival in the town, another tasting trail awaits on the streets from local restaurants and producers too. It truly is a food lover’s paradise, with an unparalleled atmosphere.
More than simply awarding excellence, Blas is about cultivating it – year after year, product by product, person by person. For young producers like Bon Chocolatiers, a win can be a launchpad to new and exciting opportunities. For long-established names like Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers, it’s a chance to take a moment to celebrate a lifetime of hard-won achievements. For everyone else, it’s an inspiring experience that offers a flavour-filled reminder of the skill and craft we have in abundance on this island.
For more on Blas na hÉireann and a full list of this year’s winners, see
