The reputation and quality of Food & Drink from the Midlands region continues to go from strength to strength, with 37 Medals at the influential Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Awards 2023.

Midlands Food and Drink producers took home a total of 13 Gold Medals, 14 Silver Medals and 10 Bronze Medals at the Awards, as well as 2 coveted Chef’s Larder Awards, the latest in a string of accolades for Midlands Food and Drink this year, with regional producers also featuring prominently in the Great Taste Awards, and the Quality Food Awards in recent months.

Blas na hÉireann, the Irish Food Awards, are the largest food awards on the island, open to all 32 counties. Judging took place earlier in the Summer, and the medal winners were announced at the annual awards weekend held in Dingle.

Finalists from across the region

Heading in to the Awards, a total of 19 finalists were named from throughout Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath, producing food and drink across a range of categories and highlighting the quality and ambition of the Food and Drink Industry in the region:

• Abbey Farm Foods, handmade fruit preserves from Abbeyleix
• Aghaboe Fine Foods, artisan cakes, baked in Laois
• Ballykilcavan Brewing Company, sustainably produced craft beers from Stradbally
• Bia Sol, circular foods including flours made from spent brewing grains in Tullamore
• Bon Chocolatiers, handmade chocolates from Athlone
• Carroll Cuisine, quality meats and ready meals made in Tullamore
• Cocoa Couture, handmade artisan chocolates in Mountmellick
• Glenisk, organic yogurts made in Killeigh
• Greene’s Family Farm, free range eggs, quiches and frittatas from Rathowen
• Herterich Artisan Butchers, a range of meats and meals from Ballymahon
• Ion Oils, producers of a range of organic cold-pressed oils in Laois
• Killua Castle, venison and lamb from Clonmellon
• Mueller O’Connell Bakery, baking sourdough breads and pastries in Abbelyleix
• Mr. Crumb, producing a range of stuffings and breadcrumbs in Mullingar
• Panelto Foods, a range of breads, rolls and baked goods from Longford
• Sugar Plum Sweetery, unique chocolates and sweets from Mullingar
• Temptation Chocolates, handmade chocolates from Abbeyleix
• The Village Dairy, a range of organic and jersey milks and creams from Killeshin
• Valeo Foods, milling Odlums wheat in Portarlington

Gold Medal Winners

The region took home a total of 13 Gold Medals this year:

• Glenisk, Killeigh – SuperValu Greek Style Natural Yogurt
• Panelto Foods, Longford – Seeds & Grains Super-seeded Bloomer
• Oliver Carty & Family, Athlone – SuperValu and Centra Streaky Smoked Rashers
• Oliver Carty & Family, Athlone – Signature Tastes Irish Hampshire Smoked Rack of Bacon
• Carroll Cuisine, Tullamore – Specially Selected Dry Cure Ham Italian Crumb
• Carroll Cuisine, Tullamore – Butchers Selection Sous Vide Wings BBQ Flavour
• Greene’s Free Range Eggs, Rathowen – Greene’s Free Range Eggs 6 Pack
• The Village Dairy, Killeshin – Dunnes Stores Simply Better Single Source Irish Jersey Cream
• The Village Dairy, Killeshin – Simply Better Organic Irish Jersey Milk
• The Village Dairy, Killeshin – The Village Dairy Jersey Milk
• Bon Chocolatiers, Athlone – Signature Collection
• Do Me A Flavour, Athlone – Organic Do Me A Flavour For Eggs
• Ballykilcavan Brewing Company, Stradbally – Blackwell Stout

Silver Medal Winners

• Mueller & O’Connell Bakery, Abbelleix – Lemon Meringue Cruffin
• Sugar Plum Sweetery, Mullingar – Florentine Favourites Slab
• Bon Chocolatiers, Althlone – Truly Dark
• Bon Chocolatiers, Athlone – Nuts About Caramel
• Abbey Farm Foods, Abbeyleix – Grainne’s Raspberry Conserve
• Oliver Carty & Family, Athlone – SuperValu Signature Taste Maple Streaky Rashers
• Killua Castle, Clonmellon – Rack of Wild Boar
• Mr. Crumb, Mullingar – Mr. Crumb Sage & Onion Stuffing
• Panelto Foods, Longford – Signature White Bloomer
• Panelto Foods, Longford – SuperValu and Centra Hi Fibre Rolls
• Cocoa Couture, Mountmellick – Fruit’n’Nut Flapjack
• Ion Oil, Portarlington – Hazelnut Oil
• Valeo Foods, Portarlington – SuperValu and Centra Sean’s Brown Soda Bread
• Do Me A Flavour, Athlone – Truffle & Pink Peppercorn Butter

Bronze Medal Winners

• The Village Dairy, Killeshin – The Village Dairy Fresh Cream
• The Village Dairy, Killeshin – The Village Dairy Organic Milk
• Aghaboe Farm Foods, Pike of Rushall – Trio of Christmas Cakes
• Abbey Farm Foods, Abbeyleix – Lidl Deluxe Mixed Fruit Preserves
• Oliver Carty & Family, Athlone – Signature Tastes Irish Hampshire Smoked Bacon Loin with Spiced Brown Sugar Glaze
• Oliver Carty & Family, Athlone – SuperValu Beechwood Smoked Easy Carve Ham Fillet
• Oliver Carty & Family, Athlone – Oliver Carty & Family Teriyaki Pork Ribs
• Bergins Family Butchers, Edenderry – Bergins Artisan Southern Fried Chicken Legs
• Killua Castle, Clonmellon – Wild Boar Sausages
• Ion Oil, Portarlington – Sunflower Oil

Chef’s Larder Awards

• Herterich Artisan Butchers, Ballymahon – Pork Lard
• Oliver Carty & Family, Athlone – Signature Tastes Hampshire Easy Carve Gammon

Best In County Winners

• Laois – Ballykilcavan Brewing Company
• Longford – Herterich Artisan Butchers
• Offaly – Glenisk
• Westmeath – Bon Chocolatiers

National Blas Awards Weekend

The finalists from across Ireland descended on the seaside town of Dingle for the national awards weekend. The three-day event took place from Thursday September 28th to Saturday 30th September.

Now in its 16th year, Blas na hÉireann saw its highest entries from across all categories along with many new producers entering the awards for the first time this year. During the judging, which took place over June and July, over 3,000 entries were judged, the highest on record.

This year’s Blas na hÉireann awards in Dingle saw the return of last year’s new additions including the Eat Ireland in a Day tent and the Blas Village where the 2023 finalists had the opportunity to showcase their products, engage with customers and meet key industry buyers.

Midlands winners picked from over 3,000 entrants

With over 3,000 products entered in this year’s Blas na hÉireann, making it as a finalist and as a medal winner is a huge achievement and one to be very proud of. The competition ramps up year on year, meaning those producers who are short listed as finalists and those who win awards really are the crème de la crème of Irish food and drink.

For producers from the Midlands it is not just their exceptional food & drink which is celebrated in Dingle but the people themselves, the passionate producers from our region and right across Ireland who make the very best of Irish are recognised and rewarded.

Learn more about the Midlands Food and Drink Cluster