Attention Mayo bakers – the National Brown Bread Baking Competition returns for 2025
Details of this year’s National Brown Bread Baking Competition, sponsored by Euronics in association with the National Ploughing Association (NPA) and the Irish Countrywomen’s Association (ICA), have been announced at the Home of Innovation in Dublin.
Mayo bakers are encouraged to enter now in the hope of being a finalist at the National Ploughing Championships Brown Bread Baking Tent on September 16 and 17, with the winner crowned on September 18.
Everyone believes that their brown bread is the best, often with a special ingredient – whether it's honey or seeds or a drop of stout!
The winning brown bread baker this year will walk away with a cash prize of €5,000 plus a NEFF Slide & Hide oven worth over €2,000, with three finalists on September 18 winning a €500 Euronics gift card and all other finalists to be given a €250 Euronics gift card and a NEFF hamper.
Daragh Lynch, CEO of Euronics Ireland, said at the launch at the Home of Innovation in Ballymount: “We are delighted to be back for a second year sponsoring this very special competition. Ovens of all shapes and sizes bake brown bread every day across Ireland and we look forward to tasting all the entries. Last year we were blown away by how many brown bread bakers entered their breads, dropping them at various Euronics stores.”
Mayo entrants (one entry per person) can drop their freshly baked bread to Keans of Claremorris or Brodericks of Westport, both part of the Euronics group, between 9 and 11 a.m. on Friday, August 1. Bread will not be accepted at any other time. Five bakers will be invited to join the three finalists from the ICA, who will be chosen at the national event in ICA HQ on July 21. Two semi-finals of four bakers will take place on September 16 and 17 at the National Ploughing Championships, with the final four bakers taking to the baking stage on September 18 at noon. All successful entrants will be contacted on August 11 and invited to attend the National Ploughing Championships Brown Bread Baking Tent.
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NPA managing director Anna May McHugh commented: “We are delighted to welcome back Euronics to the National Ploughing Championships. The first National Brown Bread Baking Ccompetition took place at ‘the ploughing’ in 1954 and it is wonderful to see that the competition is still as popular now as it was then.”
Mary D’Arcy, ICA national president, added: “Our members always enjoy taking part in the National Brown Bread Baking Competition to find the best brown bread in Ireland, and I am sure this year will be no different.”
Rose Egan, last year’s winner, said of her experience: “It was a wonderful few days and to hear my name called out was just such a thrill. I couldn’t wait to get the NEFF Hide & Slide oven into my kitchen!”
If you think you have the recipe for success, log on to https://www.neff-home.com/ie/brown-bread-comp, www.ica.ie, or https://euronics.ie/pages/brown-bread-competition for information on how to enter as well as full terms, conditions and competition rules.