Oct 09,2024
After a busy summer season bustling with tourists and tours, Dingle doesn't wind down.
In fact, the West Kerry town swells once more to mark the crescendo of Ireland’s festival calendar with the food industry descending en masse for the annual Blas na hÉireann awards, which handily coincides with the burgeoning Dingle Food Festival and takes place this weekend.
Now in its 17th year, with Dingle deep within its DNA, the awards represent an annual food industry pilgrimage to the Kingdom to bear witness to Ireland’s future stars in food and drink products.
Forget lavish hotel ceremonies with black tie and red carpets though, these food awards - widely regarded as the 'Oscars' for Irish food producers - present a casual affair. Producers, judges, chefs, buyers and media alike squeeze together in pub snugs to share pints, have chance networking chats while queuing for coffee at Bean In Dingle and dance and sing arm-in-arm at Sing Along Social in the yard of Dick Mack’s Pub every year.
A chance encounter in the line at The Little Cheese Shop shop or grabbing a morning bun from Bácús Bakery might sow the seed for a meeting or product listing. The spark of collaboration between two or more producers could come over dinner at Land To Sea. An impromptu sing-song in a corner of a pub like Paddy Bawn Brosnans, O’Flaherty’s or Currans brings unlikely personalities together in harmony. So much of Blas na hÉireann is Dingle and vice versa.
Spearheaded by father-daughter powerhouse Artie Clifford and Fallon Moore, who are encyclopaedically knowledgeable about food and drinks production in Ireland, their small team encompasses their wider families and a tight-knit group of event pros and food industry insiders.
A record year for entries, with over 3,000 from all 32 counties, awards are given out across 170 categories, culminating in the major gongs for Best In Province, Best Artisan Producer and the overall Supreme Champion, announced in a massive marquee which takes over Green Street car park in the town and doubles up as a product showcase tent for retail buyers.
While supermarket multiples have much skin in the game and rack up armfuls of awards each time, it’s the small artisan producers who stand to earn the most from this unique awards set up.
Keenly-Crafted Condiments & Ireland’s First Vermouth: Rívesci & Valentia Island Vermouth Win Big
Two fairly new food businesses, less than five years into trade and both run by enterprising couples, scooped the biggest awards this weekend –– Kerry-based Valentia Island Vermouth as the Best Artisan Producer and Tipperary-based condiment brand Rívesci as Supreme Champion.
A previous finalist and gold medal winner at the awards, Rívesci began in business as a food truck run by couple Declan Malone and Shannon Forrest, cooking dishes from scratch from their vintage 1976 caravan. Lockdown forced the company to pivot and they became full-time condiment makers, with their smoked chilli oil clinching the ultimate accolade this year.
"We are deeply honoured to be named Supreme Champion," Declan says, "this recognition means the world to us and is a testament to the hard work, passion, and dedication we pour into all our products".
Specialising in small-batch, hand-crafted condiments with a focus on local sourcing and sustainability, Rívesci has made a name for itself for high quality, vibrant and flavourful relishes and sauces that elevate everyday meals.
"To be acknowledged among so many talented producers across Ireland is a huge achievement and we are incredibly proud to represent the very best of Irish food and drink," Shannon adds.
Fallon Moore, Head of Events at Blas na hÉireann, explains: "the Supreme Champion is awarded based on the overall highest score of the blind tasting judging but the producers who win often reflect that the award is as much for them as it is for all small producers across the country".
Past Supreme Champions have included ice cream makers Morelli’s from Coleraine, bakeries like Arán Bakery in Kilkenny and Bretzel in Dublin and Wild About from Wexford who specialise in handmade, artisan dressings, syrups and chutneys.
Oysters won one year, from Rooney Fish in Co. Down, butter was crowned another year (Glenstal from Tipperary) and an Irish cider from Stonewell in Cork took the top accolade in 2016.
"It's inspiring to witness the continued innovation and quality in Ireland's food and drink industry," Chairperson of Blas na hÉireann Artie Clifford says, "we’re now in the 17th year and every year the standard is raised even higher and it’s an honour for myself and the entire Blas team to showcase these exceptional products and the dedicated producers behind them to a national audience."
Valentia Island Vermouth is a craft vermouth company founded by wife-and-wife team Anna and Orla Snook O’Carroll on Valentia Island, off the coast of County Kerry.
"This is our first time to even win gold in our category so we are absolutely over the moon with that and then to follow with Best in Kerry blew us away but then to win Best Artisan Producer in Ireland is phenomenal, we really feel honoured and incredibly excited, it’s a dream come true," Orla says.
Inspired by the island's unique flora, fauna and natural beauty, Orla and Anna produce Ireland's first vermouth using foraged herbs, flowers and fruits from the island’s rich landscape to craft a distinctive, artisanal product that reflects the essence of its surroundings.
"We take immense pride in using locally sourced ingredients to create our vermouth," Anna adds, "so to be recognised alongside so many outstanding producers is a huge achievement for us. What Fallon and Artie do for all of us small producers by putting us on the map is incredible, it’s the hard work they do year-round that culminates in this incredible weekend for producers and the buzz in Dingle is electric".
The Story Matters Most: Storytelling Sells Products
As much a buyers showcase and networking opportunity as it is an awards shindig, what keeps buyers and retail professionals coming back to Blas na hÉireann and making the pilgrimage to Dingle is not only innovation and new flavours but storytelling.
"We are a bit old school in a sense that we still really love to do business face to face rather then over email or phone," Johnny McDonnell, co-owner of Indie Füde, explains. "I first came down to Dingle and Blas maybe nine years ago and now it has become an annual trip to see the lay of the land and seek out new products we can help sell –– we love to be that first to market point and champion new and emerging producers," he adds.
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McDowell set up Indie Füde a decade ago originally as a website to order and ship gourmet food and drinks products, sourced solely from the island of Ireland. He later teamed up with business partner Laura Bradley and the pair now run two burgeoning stores, in Comber Co. Down and a second site on Belfast’s Ormeau Road.
Johnny and Laura were bestowed the Producer’s Champion award in 2022, which Blas na hÉireann puts to its community annually to suggest those who particularly support and spotlight Irish produce. Previous recipients have included chefs like Neven Maguire and Jess Murphy and politicians like Simon Coveney.
"It’s so much easier to sell the product when you know the producer and the story behind it," Laura adds, "we come to Dingle looking for products which have a combination of great provenance, sourcing and branding but above everything taste and the story behind the business are the most important aspects".
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The pair have also judged the awards for the last six or seven years and have remarked how the artisan food and drink retail landscape has flourished with global influences and flavours brought into the mix by those who choose to call Ireland home.
Johnny warns that with the impressive growth of the producer industry over the last decade it is worrying that the Irish cheese sector is slightly receding with several businesses closing and cheesemakers leaving the industry.
Fallon Moore also notices the struggles, "it's incredibly tough for all food businesses at the moment, facing rising costs and economic hurdles, but what I see time and time again is food and drink producers’ incredible tenacity and resilience".
Good For The Soul & A Sense of Togetherness
"It fills my cup, it’s good for my soul coming to Dingle each year," Ciara Daly, founder of social media marketing agency Conquer Digital says, "I love the opportunity to get to meet and connect with food producers here and I’ve even gotten clients in previous years who I met by complete chance".
It’s an opportunity for many facets of the food industry, Ciara explains: "for busy food producers running small businesses they don’t get the chance to be out and about meeting with their whole industry so Blas is that opportunity for them, and I know that all too well as a small business owner myself".
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Every person we speak to is amazed at the scale of the operation and Ciara adds "it’s an unbelievably well-oiled machine, the way the tiny Blas team co-ordinate this weekend, bringing people together from every corner of Ireland to this little southwest corner is so, so impressive".
"Ireland has this ginormous food family and once a year we have the opportunity to get together and celebrate one another’s products," chef Jess Murphy of Kai restaurant in Galway says.
"I just have a massive grá for Irish food and drink producers," she adds while reminding of the old adage –– it’s really the taking part that counts, "it’s that sense of togetherness, I just love it, that’s even more important than winning an award here".
You can find the full list of 2024 winners here.
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