GS1 Ireland Sponsors the Irish Food Awards - Blas na hEireann 2019

GS1 Ireland has supported the Irish Food Awards for a number of years and is proud to be a category sponsor again in 2019.

“With over 50% of the GS1 Ireland membership hailing from the food sector, we see the awards as a great way to support and champion Irish food producers, be they artisan SMEs or more established brands,” commented Maria Svejdar, Head of Marketing for GS1 Ireland.

“The Awards and the broader Dingle Food Festival are a wonderful celebration of Irish Food. We love having the opportunity to celebrate the successes of our Members, so many of which win awards across the categories. Although it is an awards ceremony, it’s not all about winning – just being shortlisted can lend a brand great kudos and have long term benefits for a business.”

Recent winners include Absolute Nutrition, Goatsbridge Trout Farm and Rigney’s Granola all of whom have kindly shared their tips for “bringing home the gold” at Blas which you can read about here.

Introduction to The Irish Food Awards (Blas)

Blas na hEireann, The Irish Food Awards, are now in their 12^th year of celebrating the very best that Irish food and drink producers have to offer. In 2018, over 2,500 products competed for Gold, Silver and Bronze awards in over 100 categories, making it the biggest competition on the Irish food scene. The 2019 Blas awards are now open for entries until the 12^th of June.

The Blas Judging System

The Blas judging system, which was developed in conjunction with the Food Science Department in UCC, is now recognised as an international industry standard. Judges include chefs, commercial buyers retailers and food writers and products are blindly rated on several criteria, including appearance, aroma, flavour and texture. The awards have come to be highly respected by both the Irish food community and consumers in general, with winners reporting tangible effects on their sales, brand awareness and interest from retail buyers.

Key Dates for Entry to the Awards

Last dates for entries is the 12^th June with judging taking place in June and July. Winners will be announced on Saturday the 5^th October at the Blas Awards and Dingle Food Festival.

• 30th April - Early-bird closes (€60 plus VAT per entry up to 30th April. €75 plus VAT per entry thereafter)
• 12th June – Final date for entry
• 18th June – Bread Judging in Dublin
• July – Judging at UCC – Full list of dates by category
• August - Finalists Notified
• 1st & 2nd Oct (Tuesday & Wednesday) – Finalist deliveries for judging to Dingle
• 2nd & 3rd Oct (Wednesday & Thursday) – Finalist Judging
• 4th October (Friday) – Finalist Workshops & Masterclasses plus The Backyard at Blas
• 5th October (Saturday) – Awards are announced plus networking events, showcase and The Backyard at Blas

A full list of key dates can be found on the Blas website.

Enter Now!

There are over 100 categories in which to enter; from meats, dairy and bread, to cakes, sauces, drinks and more.  You can see the full list of award categories here. If you have any questions about entering, check out the Blas FAQ page here or contact them directly. To make sure that you receive important updates and reminders, you can subscribe to the Blas newsletter on the Blas website. Be sure to enter before the 12th June, which you can do here. We wish all our food members the very best of luck in The Irish Food Awards 2019 and we look forward to seeing you there in October!