Seven local producers win Blas na hÉireann awards
SEVEN producers from Co Wicklow saw their products put up on a pedestal as they were awarded Blas na hÉireann Awards.
Now in their 12th year, the Blas na hÉireann awards are the all-island food awards that recognise the very best Irish food and drink products, and the passionate people behind them.
The bronze, silver and gold winners from Wicklow across a range of different categories are 250KAL Foods Ltd., Avoca, Equipital Ltd (Gino’s Gelato), Le Paysan of Wicklow Ltd., Miena’s Irish Handmade Nougat, Rhoda Cocoa and Wicklow Farmhouse Cheese.
On top of that, Equipital Ltd (Gino’s Gelato) won the award for Best in Wicklow while Rhoda Cocoa won the Best in Farmer’s Market for Wicklow.
Products entered into the Blas na hÉireann Awards are blind-tasted, meaning that all packaging and identifying features are removed from products before being presented for judging, creating a level playing field for large and small producers. Judges come from a range of food backgrounds from chefs to restaurateurs, academics, journalists, authors, food champions, caterers and enthusiastic home cooks.
The criteria on which products are judged during the blind tasting as well as the judging system itself, which was developed by Blas na hÉireann with the Food Science Dept of UCC and the University of Copenhagen, is now recognised as an industry gold standard worldwide.
Artie Clifford, Chairperson and founder of Blas na hÉireann, said: ‘Winning a Blas award has been shown to work for our previous winners in bringing them to the attention of food-lovers both at home and abroad and we are looking forward to yet another exceptional year for our worthy winners of Blas na hÉireann 2019.’