Local companies scoop Blas awards

 

A total of seven local companies claimed awards at the Blas na hÉireann, the Irish food awards last week.

The bronze, silver and gold winners from Cavan, across a range of different categories are Liffey Meats, Manor Farm, Lakeland Dairies, Ice Cream Treats Ltd, Drummully Boxty, Aines Chocolates Ltd, Scotts Irish Cider, with Ice Cream Treats Ltd winning 'Best in County'.

Now in its eleventh year, the Blas na hÉireann awards are the biggest blind tasting of produce in the country and the 2018 finals took place in Dingle, Co Cork.

The criteria on products are judged for the awards, as well as the judging system itself, developed by Blas na hÉireann with the Food Science Dept of UCC, is now recognised as an international industry standard.

The first round of judging took place over the course of four weeks in June and July, when over 2,500 entries were judged in UCC & The Baking Academy, bringing the total number of finalists in each category down to just five. Those 5 winners in each of 140 categories were submitted to the judging day in Dingle, where all 350 producer finalists had their food products tasted, compared, savoured and judged at the final of Blas na Éireann 2018.

Tommy Ryan, Chief Executive of Cavan County Council, which supports the Best in Cavan award in the annual Blás na hÉireann Awards, said the event duly celebrates local food and drink producers, who in his opinion are “among the best in the world. As the primary driver of enterprise development locally, Cavan County Council recognises the enormous contribution to the local economy made by the agri-food sector, and I applaud all the wonderful producers nominated today for the enterprise and their dedication to their craft.”