The Blas 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.
Now in our 16th year, Blas na hÉireann, The Irish Food Awards is the biggest competition for quality Irish produce on the island of Ireland. Each year producers from every county in Ireland have entered into the competition to win Gold, Silver and Bronze as well as Finalist accreditation in a broad range of food and drink categories as well as key awards such as Supreme Champion and Best Artisan Producer.
Research has shown that the Blas accreditation has the highest recognition amongst Irish consumers and using the award logo on packs encourages shoppers to buy these products. It is their guarantee of a top quality Irish product.
Blas na hÉireann was founded so that quality benchmarks could be established for Irish produce on a level playing field. Winning at Blas has made a significant business difference to our winners.
Key dates for 2023
17th March Entries open online
5th April Earlybird Deadline
17th May Final date for entry
June/July - Judging with UCC
August - Finalists Notified
29th September Blas na hEireann awards presented
(Blas Village with Networking, Showcase, Awards & Eat Ireland in a Day running from 28th Sept - 1st Oct)
Note on entry fees:
Entries received online between 17th March and 5th of April are at the discounted early bird fee of €70 per entry (ex VAT)
The full entry fee, applicable from 6th April – 17th May is €90 per entry (ex VAT)