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 17th 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.
Key dates for 2024
17th March Entries open online
3rd April Earlybird Deadline
16th May Final date for entry
June/July - Judging
August - Finalists Notified
4th October Blas na hEireann awards presented
(Blas Village with Networking, Showcase, Awards & Eat Ireland in a Day running from 28th Sept - 1st Oct)
Entry Fees are...
€90 (plus VAT) per entry for all entries made under a producers’ brand name
(There is an early bird rate of €70 (plus VAT) per entry available from 17th March to 3rd April)
€180 (plus VAT) For entries which are made for a retailers’ store brand/private label
Earlybird does not apply to store brand/private label entries
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.