Blas na hÉireann, the Irish Food Awards, 2024

Now in its 17th year, Blas na hÉireann, the Irish Food Awards, is the largest food and drink awards on the island of Ireland, open to producers from all 32 counties. This year marked another record-breaking milestone, with over 3,000 entries, including many first-time participants. The awards span 170 categories, culminating in prestigious honours such as Best in Province, Best Artisan Producer, and the coveted Supreme Champion. The Blas na hÉireann 2024 awards were announced on Friday, 4th October 2024.

The Supreme Champion title for 2024 was awarded to Tipperary-based condiment producers Rívesci, run by Declan Malone and Shannon Forrest, for their smoked chili oil. They also received the Best in County and Best in Munster awards. Meanwhile, the Best Artisan Producer and Best in Kerry awards went to wife-and-wife team Anna and Orla Snook O’Carroll.for their Valentia Island Vermouth - Ireland’s first vermouth.

I was delighted to work with the Blas team once again to manage the Backyard at Blas sessions during the weekend in Dingle and to assist Fallon Moore and Artie Clifford of Blas na hÉireann in curating the panels. I also had the privilege of hosting a panel with fellow Backyard at Blas mentors and participating in a discussion led by journalist, broadcaster, and author, Caroline Hennessy. This session featured Blas winners Daniel and Georgia of Bon Chocolatiers and Anna and Orla of Valentia Island Vermouth, where we delved into strategies for building an effective PR plan. You can view this panel discussion via Blas na hÉireann YouTube here.

One of the weekend’s highlights for me at the Backyard at Blas was the conversation between two leading women in Irish food, Fallon Moore of Blas na hÉireann and Sarah Furno co-owner of Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers. I'm proud to work with both of these trailblazers! You can watch their chat here. 

Lastly, I am proud to be involved in the Backyard at Blas mentoring programme, supported by Taste for Success Skillnet Ireland. This initiative won the inaugural Best Sharing & Learning Community award at the Learning & Development Institute (L&DI) Excellence in Learning Awards in September 2024. I am grateful for the opportunity to support some of Ireland’s finest producers through PR mentoring.

Photo credit: Allen Kiely Photography /Blas na hÉireann