Lou th lifts five‘ food Os cars’ in 2018 Bl as na hEireann awards

Co Louth has triumhped in what are sometimes called the Oscars of Irish food, with five local producers taking Blas na hÉireann awards this year.

The local winners, with a selection of bronze, silver and gold awards, across a range of different categories are Hilton Foods Ireland, East Coast Bakehouse, Lily’s Tea Shop, The Juice Works and Rafferty’s Fine Foods with Hilton Foods Ireland winning Best in County.

Hilton Foods opened in March 2004 with the opening of their fresh meat production facility in Drogheda. In 2007 they expanded their site with the opening of a second factory supplying cured meat products of bacon joints and hams, and own label sausages to our customer.

East Coast Bakehouse, which was established in 2015 by former Dragon Alison Cowzer, has invested close to €20 million to set up a factory to produce high-end biscuits in Drogheda.

Lily’s Tea Shop is the brainchild of Lily Chen, who is originally from the Fujian province where she was reared on quality leaf tea. Over the years she has developed a strong passion for quality tea served in the most natural way. Lily is now settled in Termonfeckin, Co. Louth with Dominick and their two children.

Fitness guru Laura Armarda Buch took the country by storm with her Juice Works in She says she wants to make optimum nutrition a realistic option for everyone, mums and dads, boys and girls, nanas and grandads, if you are vegan, dairy free, gluten free, tall, short or even all of the above!

Blackrock winner Rafferty’s Fine Foods was established by Chef Declan Rafferty who decided to develop his own range of homemade chutneys, relishes, dressings, flavoured oils, infused sea salt flakes, patés and jams which he makes and serves as part of his restaurant menus.

The Blas na hÉireann awards are the biggest blind tasting of produce in the country, and the criteria on which the product is judged as well as the judging system itself, which was developed by Blas na hÉireann with the Food Science Dept of UCC, is now recognised as an international industry standard.

During the first round of judging which took place over the course of four weeks in June and July, over 2,500 entries were judged in UCC & The Baking Academy, bringing the total number of finalists in each category down to just five.

‘All food on this island is local, but the passion for food, good food and local food has never been greater,’ said Artie Clifford, Chairperson and founder of Blas na hÉireann after the announcement.