Passion and innovation were the ingredients at Blas 2026

Blas na hÉireann 2026 puts Irish food innovation in the spotlight in Dingle as entrepreneurs and emerging brands celebrate awards, growth and ambition, reports Mark Cullen.

Passion, innovation and striving for better ingredients all stood out to me from my experience of Blas na hÉireann 2026 in Dingle.

The Irish Food Awards in Dingle bring together the giants of the food industry along with up and coming brands looking to elevate their products and to continue  their journey in an upward trajectory. With so many categories and winners, we cannot mention everyone but here is the full listing.

From experiencing the talks throughout the day at the Backyard at Blas, which was sponsored by Bank of Ireland, there was a vast selection of speakers, from the co-founder of Chimac Sofie Rooney who is running both a restaurant business and production of their sauces which brings its separate challenges, to a slightly different angle of the managing director of Blenders Harry Simpson who has years of experience within the food industry and has been in the company through expansion into the Middle East. Both shared the challenges and learnings this brought along with growing different products to try and become the best at what they do. 

Hustle and bustle

The hustle and bustle of the tents throughout the two days really showed the number of finalists that were there for the weekend all based off merit with prizes for different sections along with the awards such as Best New Product or Best Start-up which was sponsored by Bank of Ireland which is an opportunity to put a growing business in the publics for expansion possibilities or new customer outreach with retailers. 

The innovation which was seen by the likes of Bon Chocolatiers who were last year’s winners of the Supreme Champion award was something that impressed me very much.

The Supreme Champion award is one of the most sought after awards and for them to grow from that and continue making an impact within the food industry is great to see while also collaborating with another Irish brand on the day. This year’s winner was Arán Bakery & Bistro, named Supreme Champion at the Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Awards for the second time

The two previous Supreme champions joined forces resulting in the creation of the Sweet Heat Choc Bar. Daniel and Georgia from Bon Chocolatiers combined Rivesci‘s Dec’s Hot Buzz (Hot Honey) with their signature caramel for the top layer and taking inspiration from Cashew Chilli Crush they combined cashews and black sesame for the bottom layer praline that finishes it off perfectly.

They took to the stage at the Backyard to give us insight into how they balance the growth of their business with also managing the life side of the work life balance which Daniel admitted he is improving on. 

Nice Ice cream were also a highlight  from the weekend. They are a family run ice cream business with  their mango sorbet picking up a prize on the Friday and the consensus from everyone on Thursday evening was that this product was something special.

The prioritisation of real ingredients with no additives was a core theme through a lot of brands which really shows how the Irish food industry is different. And by supporting Irish brands such as this, it gives them a platform to continue to grow and other brands to follow who may innovate even more.  Operated by Alexander Kuzminov and Juliya Kuzminova, specialising in 100% natural, artisan ice cream, the business was a success story from SuperValu’s Food Academy which proves that the large retailers do have a hand in helping these businesses grow. 

The origin story of Nice Ice cream dates back to 2019 in Odesa, Ukraine, where they began making small batch ice cream which they turned their passion into an operating business which now serves many shops around the Roscommon and Galway area along with catering events for corporates, weddings and much more! 

The Best Start-up: GoMeal

Originally from India, GoMeal founder Sunny Joy had a love for cooking which stemmed from his parents and he had a realisation that the convenient meals had a long list of ingredients which like many products are there in order to reduce costs or increase shelf time.

He wanted to bring to market a product in this space made without any additives but without sacrificing on the flavours of the dishes he was cooking.

Stocking out of Co. Mayo, he mentioned selling 1,500 of his meals a month with future plans of upping these numbers and as we were talking he got announced as the “Best in Connaught” which cut the interview short slightly but the passion really shone through.

The biggest cheer came from the winner themselves when Sunny realised he had won the Best Start-up and it was bursts of emotion like that, which showed the true meaning behind these prizes for the food entrepreneurs and business owners. 

An ever-present figure throughout the two days at the Blas na hÉireann awards was chef Neven Maguire and having listened his various speeches, and taking the time to chat to the finalists themselves, he made a big point that being nominated as finalists was very special in itself. It really underlined the spirit and support within the Irish food industry and the shared aspiration for founders to achieve and do well!

After the weekend I have no doubt the Irish food scene will continue to develop with the support of some of the bigger players in the game and the pure creativity and will of the growing founders continue to challenge the way we view food and appreciate it over time. 

The financing piece was another one of interest with decisions being made whether to accept financing or continuing to bootleg the growth such as Chimac, which is impressive seen as the company seems to be growing fast with their product popping up on multiple shelves around the country.

As these businesses continue to grow and look for further expansion, the Irish food community is there to support businesses and founders to reach their goals and targets.

The supportive aspect of buying local seemed to be an obvious theme which will benefit these small businesses as they attempt to get their products widely spread throughout the country and in many cases on the international stage, The Blas na hÉireann awards certainly helps to put them in the spotlight for the large retailers to notice.