Entries open for Blas na hÉireann

Entries for Blas na hÉireann 2023 are now open. Last year, following a two-year hiatus from an in-person event, the much-anticipated return to Dingle was a moment of magic as friends, colleagues, producers and makers finally got together again to celebrate, and the excitement for this September is already building.

Blas na hÉireann is the largest blind-tasted food awards on the island of Ireland, designed to recognise and celebrate the very best Irish food and drink. Entries are open to producers across all categories of food and drink and entries will finally close for this year’s awards on May 17th.

This is the 16th year of Blas na hÉireann and last year saw a huge increase in entries to over 3,000, the highest on record, with many producers entering the awards for the first time. Together with the Food Science Dept of UCC and the University of Copenhagen, the team at Blas worked to develop a blind-tasting judging system that is now recognised as an industry gold standard worldwide.

Winners are always the best Blas ambassadors, something to which over a decade’s worth of small producers, farmers, growers, bakers and artisan food makers who have won a Blas award and proudly put the winner’s sticker on their product can attest. Research has shown that the Blas accreditation has the highest recognition among Irish consumers and having the award logo on products encourages shoppers to buy – it is a recognised guarantee of a top-quality Irish product.

Entries are now open and there is an early bird fee of €70 (ex VAT) until 5th April. The full entry fee, applicable from 6th April to 17th May is €90 per entry (ex VAT). Visit www.irishfoodawards.com