Blas na hÉireann 2025: Winners announced in Dingle
Blas na hÉireann, the Irish food awards, wrapped up a four‑day celebration of Ireland’s best food and drink from 2–5 October in Dingle, Co Kerry. Now in its 18th year, the event is both a visual feast and a tasting festival for food lovers, event professionals and industry insiders. As the country’s largest blind tasting, Blas na hÉireann brings together judges from diverse backgrounds—including chefs, restaurateurs, academics, journalists, authors, food champions, caterers and enthusiastic home cooks—to assess entries across more than 180 categories.
Throughout June and July, more than 3,000 entries from every Irish county were evaluated, with products competing for bronze, silver and gold accolades. The spotlight awards—Supreme Champion, sponsored by Bord Bia, and Best Artisan Producer, sponsored by the LEO Network—underline the breadth and quality of Irish food and drink in 2025.
Supreme Champion: Bon Chocolatiers
After a rigorous deliberation, Bon Chocolatiers, based in Tullamore, Co Offaly, clinched the title of Supreme Champion. The husband‑and‑wife team, Georgia Quealy and Daniel Linehan, have trained in Michelin‑starred kitchens and worked with renowned pastry masters before launching their chocolate studio during lockdown in 2020. From their Athlone base, they craft confections that pair ethically sourced French, Swiss and Ghanaian chocolate with Irish butter and cream, plus foraged local berries, Wicklow mint and Oriel sea salt. The result is a collection described by judges as both artistic and deeply rooted in high‑quality ingredients.
The win signals a rising tide of Irish chocolate makers who combine traditional craft with modern storytelling, and it adds a striking chapter to Bon Chocolatiers’ rapid rise in a short time.
Best Artisan Producer: Cashel Blue
Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers were named Best Artisan Producer. The company traces its roots to 1984, when Louis and Jane Grubb began producing Cashel Blue. In 2004, their daughter Sarah and her husband Sergio Furno assumed responsibility for maturation and day‑to‑day production and are now co‑owners. Working from Beechmount Farm, a 200‑acre site in Tipperary, Cashel Blue is produced to reflect the quality of grass‑fed milk from the surrounding fields, with maturation periods and handling that preserve its distinctive character.
Today, the second generation continues the Cashel Blue story, blending heritage with sustainable farming and craft cheesemaking. The judges noted how the cheese embodies the terroir of Tipp erary and the long family tradition that underpins the Cashel brand.
The message behind the wins
Blas na hÉireann’s top honours—together with dozens of regional and category prizes—illustrate the breadth of Irish food talent, from artisanal chocolates to farmhouse cheeses. The Supreme Champion and Best Artisan Producer categories showcase both new voices and enduring family businesses that adapt to contemporary tastes while staying faithful to core methods and ingredients. As Blas na hÉireann Chairperson Artie Clifford puts it, the awards celebrate the full spectrum of flavour, from salty and savory to delicate and sweet, across generations and geographies.
Judging, tradition and the festival atmosphere
The competition’s blind tasting format remains central to the process, ensuring that each product is judged on its own merits. With entries spanning every county and a judging panel drawn from wide culinary and academic circles, the awards offer a reliable snapshot of Ireland’s evolving food scene. The Dingle festival itself, with its tastings, talks and producer showcases, provides a platform for direct dialogue between creators, buyers and consumers, helping to grow the Irish food economy and tourism appeal.
Looking ahead
As the 18th Blas na hÉireann year closes, producers across Ireland are encouraged to push boundaries while honouring tradition. The 2025 winners—led by Bon Chocolatiers and Cashel Blue—illustrate a thriving landscape where craftsmanship, provenance and sustainability meet modern palates, reinforcing Ireland’s reputation for top‑tier food and drink on the world stage.
