The summer food festival season is coming to an end but the last hurrah took place at the weekend (30 September) in the small town of Dingle in Co Kerry.

Everyone from food lovers to food producers made their way to the peninsula village for the Dingle Food Festival – not just for the taste trails and stalls, but also for the announcement of the winners of the Blas na hÉireann food awards.

The cream rose to the top this year, with dairy coming up trumps. Glenstal Irish Creamery Salted Butter took the overall top award, scoring the highest points among the 2,500 products entered in the competition.

Made at Abington Rectory in Murrisk, Co Limerick, Glenstal Irish Creamery Salted Butter is traditionally churned and wrapped in parchment paper.

“It’s back to basics. What are we famous for? Our dairy,” said Blas na hÉireann chair Artie Clifford.

“I know this product because I buy it. The quality is supreme. It reminds me of the butter I knew as a child.”

Glenstal also won the best in Munster for this product.

The other big winners at the awards were a fruit and herb-infused vinegar from Co Armagh, which won best artisan, and Burren Balsamics’ blackberry and thyme vinegar, which took the best in Ulster prize.

A craft beer from an Antrim co-op won best new product. The Devil’s Washtub Ale is made by the Lacada Brewery in Portrush. Laurie Davies is the brewer from Lacada.

“We are stunned to get this award, plus four more. We are a cooperative with 280 members who all bought shares. This is great recognition of all the hard work of the co-op, including the many volunteers.”

Oliver Carty Meats from Roscommon took home the most awards. The company took prizes in nine categories, as well as the best in Connacht.

The best in Leinster went to Kepak.

The background & the judging

Now in its 10th year, the Blas awards have become the mecca of Irish food. Set up by Artie Clifford and now run with his daughter (the “Blas boss” Fallon Clifford), the awards have grown from 400 products in year one to entries from 2,500 products in 2017.

Initial judging begins in August at UCC, while the finalists were judged last Thursday in Dingle. Seventy-two judges took part in the day-long judging – a mammoth logistical task involving 12 different menus and each judge tasting more than 32 products.

Speaking to Irish Country Living, Artie Clifford says: “Because it is a blind taste test, you have small artisan producers competing on the same level playing field as large retailers. Marketing, packaging, logistics – that has nothing to do with it, it’s all about the taste. The beauty is that those who are winning silver and bronze are looking at the gold winners, seeing what they are doing right, and improving their offerings. The accreditation is lifting the bar and all boats are rising, and the quality of Irish food in 10 years is, I feel, improving.

“We have also seen food trends emerge. Rapeseed oil has exploded in recent years, so much so that it is now infused with flavours – so we had to create a new category for that. Beef is also split – due to the popularity of rib-eye – in its own category.”

Backyard at Blas

On top of all that, the weekend included the “Backyard at Blas”, which saw a host of food-focused talks and master classes take place across the weekend.

“We don’t want producers to just come to Dingle to pick up a piece of glass. We want them to go home with something more; advice, information and, of course, friends. To look at others in the industry not as competitors, but as colleagues,” says Artie. CL

>> Representing gold

It was back to basics with big wins for both the fresh meats and dairy categories. One producer who swept the boards was Oliver Carty from Roscommon. He collected the highest number of awards in total for one producer this year, taking home 12 wins to Roscommon; four golds, best in Connacht and a coveted chef’s choice award.

The gold winners for Oliver Carty Meats were an Alabama rub, a sweet and smoky mustard and pepper seasoning, a cranberry port and orange zest stuffing, and a mixed peppercorn and garlic butter.

He said: “It is hugely important for us to once again be awarded by Blas na hÉireann after all the effort from our team.

“I have such personal pride in what we do and to receive this recognition for the innovation and quality after all the hard work is a true badge of honour”

Cork and Dublin had the highest number of gold awards, with 21 and 19 respectively. However, Tipperary – famous for its quality producers – had the third highest number of golds, with 11 gold wins for the premier county. One of these winners was the well-known James Whelan Butchers with its heritage cure ham on the bone.

Other talked-about gold wins were the DV8 cream liqueur from Laois; Dublin’s Bretzel’s Bakery’s sourdough & baguette; O’Neill’s of Wexford’s dry cured back rashers; and Corndale Farm’s fennel salami.

The Calvey Family from Achill brought home a gold to Mayo for their new lamb blood pudding, while the Happy Pear’s basil pesto was a winner for the second year in a row.

A low-sodium salt made with wild Atlantic kelp from Kerry was the gold winner for salt, and a blackberry and thyme-infused balsamic vinegar from Burren Balsamics was the top winner in vinegars as well as in the best artisan category.