Right in the heart of Dingle town the Blas Village includes Blas Awards Venue, Showcase & Networking Area as well as The Backyard at Blas and Eat Ireland in a Day
The few days in this venue, particularly as the awards are announced are full of good feeling, people cheering each other on and all the very best of food on the island. The Blas Village venues are devoted to creating opportunities for you the finalist to meet each other and with the journalists, buyers and industry who travel to Dingle on that weekend.
As always it is dedicated to celebrating the very best of Irish food & drinks and you, the passionate people who make them.
What is in the Blas Village….
Blas Welcome Tent This is where our team will be on site to welcome our finalists, you can collect your passes, programmes for the weekend. Once awards are announced flash labels will also be available here, Open as follows;
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- Thursday 28th – 12noon – 8pm
- Friday 29th – 8am – 7pm
- Saturday 30th – 9am – 5pm (info desk on this day inside the showcase marquee)
Blas Awards venue This is where the awards will be presented on Friday 29th. Sessions run throughout the day, you can check your category time here. Please do check your session timing so you can make the most of the rest of the time attending Backyard panel discussions and networking in the marquee. We will be announcing Gold, Silver & Bronze winners in each category and there will be a certificate and photograph for every finalist.
This is not a seated venue or a formal event, our focus is on celebrating the producers, cheering each other on and getting your all-important photograph!
The Backyard at Blas The Backyard, supported by Bank of Ireland is a dedicated space for producers to meet their industry colleagues, gain knowledge & find support for their business.
Set in a relaxed, informal venue, hot topics are covered with industry leaders and experts in a number of engaging conversation panels followed by Q&As. Throughout the day on Friday 29th & Saturday 30th attendees have the opportunity to grab a coffee and chat with key people and fellow producers. Please note the Backyard will be open on Friday & Saturday with panel discussions taking place on both days. Find more details here
Blas Showcase Marquee 2023 finalist products will be showcased in The Blas Marquee. This event is designed to showcase the excellent products which have made it to the finals. It is an opportunity for buyers and press to discover the products which have been chosen from the many entries from across the country which represent the very best quality produce in Ireland. Award judges, journalists, buyer and chefs along with our sponsors will be invited to this event which is an opportunity for you to network directly with the people who can grow your business. Bring plenty of business cards and a big smile!
Does a finalist need to send samples? Yes, we ask that you do. Our 2023 finalists represent the very best of Irish food & drink and we want to be sure your finalist product is included in this. The shelves in this shopfloor display will represent the top products in each category. and buyers and press have registered to attend so they can view the very best of Irish all in one place.
This venue is open for private preview to buyers and press only on Thursday 28th. Buyers use this time to preview in advance of the networking on Friday 29th & Saturday 30th. This venue is open as a networking space exclusive to Blas finalist producer, buyers and press on Friday 29th 9.30 – 7pm & Saturday 30th from 9am – 5pm
How & when should I send samples? Products should be delivered as they are presented in their packaging to the customer. Samples will be displayed in their shop ready state. Products do not need to be delivered by the producer. Courier deliveries can be accepted. Dates for delivery as follows….
- Chilled & short shelflife samples Deliver to The Blas Village, Green St, Dingle, Co. Kerry. Deliveries accepted on Wednesday 27th September only 9am – 4pm
- Ambient samples Deliver to Blas na hÉireann, Dykegate Lane, Dingle, Co. Kerry, V92 H365. Deliveries accepted Mon 18th – Fri 22nd September 9am – 5pm
- It is vital that the entry number is included clearly (Example 1a-23-10123) Please include this on the back or underneath every sample so that display products appear at their best.
- Two samples of each product (Note, if your product exceeds 1 kg per sample in this case 1 samples will suffice) Best Before date must be included on each sample. All chilled products should arrive at the correct temperature for storage Sampling & Display in The Marquee
- The finalist products will be displayed in their shop ready state. The Blas team will prepare this display.
- Please note that we will not be able to offer space for display stands, leaflets or sampling.
- We do not have the space or facilities to allow producers to offer samples of the products. We may select some products which our team will prepare and offer as samples to buyers and press. This is a very limited amount, based entirely on the facilities, space available and food samples ease of preparation (essentially ‘open & serve’).