National Brown Bread Baking Competition 2023
Think you have the recipe for success? The National Brown Bread Baking Competition sponsored by ALDI in association with the NPA and ICA is back!
The competition, in association with the National Ploughing Association and Irish Countrywomen’s Association, will see one lucky winner have their bread stocked in ALDI!
Are you a bread-baking extraordinaire? Put your baking skills to the test and enter this year’s National Brown Bread Baking Competition!
The ICA are delighted to announce the return of the National Brown Bread Baking Competition 2023 in conjunction with the National Ploughing Association and sponsored by ALDI.
A prize fund of over €15,000 for the winner, generous vouchers and hampers for the runners up, all provided by and sponsored by Aldi. The winner’s brown bread will be stocked in all 150 ALDI stores nationwide.
The ICA is delighted to announce there will be THREE ICA finalists this year!
The ICA FINALS of the competition will take place on Tuesday 1st August 2023 in An Grianán, so ladies it’s time to get baking!
All finalists will be contacted by August 11th and invited to take part in the live finals at the National Ploughing Championships from September 19th – 21st in Ratheniska, Co. Laois. One lucky baker will be crowned the winner and their brown bread will be stocked in 157 ALDI stores nationwide. Not only that, but they will receive a prize of €15,000 – that’s quite a lot of dough!
The competition is free and open to all members of the public.
Rules of the Brown Bread Competition 2023:
1. Each competitor will produce a home-baked brown bread. A 2lb loaf tin must be used. Ingredients that are allowed are listed under FAQs. Competitors must use ingredients purchased from ALDI. Any ingredients not available for purchase in ALDI must be listed and presented in non-branded containers. Competitors may bring their own baking tin should they reach the Finals.
2. Competitors must be over the age of 18 years on 1st January 2023.
3. Professional chefs are excluded from competing.
4. Competitors, please note that at the National Brown Bread Baking Competition Finals, competitors will be obliged to use the ingredients supplied by ALDI on the day. Any ingredients not available in ALDI must be listed and presented in non-branded containers.
5. Each finalist will be required to submit their final recipe before the National Brown Bread Baking Competition Finals to ensure all ingredients can be used by our production bakery of choice. Competitors must be available on all dates of the Competition – Semi Finals to take place on September 19th and 20th. Final to take place on September 21st.
Directors, management and employees (and the immediate families of directors, management and employees) of the Promotor or the agencies or companies associated with this promotion are ineligible to enter. Previous National Winners are excluded from taking part.
Speaking about this year’s competition, John Curtin, Group Buying Director for ALDI, said: “At ALDI, we are really looking forward to another fantastic few months of sampling brown bread from across the country. Our association with the National Brown Bread Baking Competition is now in its ninth year and we continue to see top quality and innovation on display from bakers. Last year’s winning product ‘Daragh’s Brown Bread’ has been a hit with customers and we’re certain that we’ll uncover another crop of talented bakers at this year’s competition. Good luck to everyone who enters – we can’t wait to sample your bread!”
NPA Managing Director, Anna May McHugh, said: “The NPA are delighted to host the National Brown Bread Baking Competition once again at this year’s Ploughing Championships, which takes place from September 19th to 21st. It is fantastic to see that this contest is still as popular as ever since its inception in the early 1950s with hundreds of the most talented bakers from all over Ireland coming together to take part and compete to be crowned the ‘Best Brown Bread Baker in Ireland’. We look forward to welcoming this year’s finalists to Ratheniska and announcing the winner on September 21st”.
Hilda Roche, President of the ICA, said: “The members of the Irish Countrywomen’s Association are very much looking forward to participating in this year’s National Brown Bread Baking Competition. I wish everyone the very best of luck.”
Daragh O’Brien, winner of National Brown Bread Baking Competition 2022, said: “Taking part in the National Brown Bread Baking Competition has been a life-changing experience. Not only did I become the first male winner of the competition, but I got to share my recipe with the country and see my brown bread stocked in my local ALDI. I encourage all amateur bakers to enter this year’s competition and wish everyone the best of luck.”