Latest news with #NationalBrownBreadBakingCompetition
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Meet the Galway woman with a love for baking who has made national brown bread finals
Tracey Mullin-Ryan, from Kiltevan in Dunmore, said she is still 'surprised and thrilled' as she explained to the Irish Independent she loves cooking and baking, but she had only shared her passion with her family and friends, until this summer. 'My family and I, my wider siblings their families, we all really enjoy cooking. As a family we tend to cook a lot. We cook big dinners and that obviously includes some baking. We all like desserts. 'I probably started baking around ten years ago, just when hosting family and that kind of thing,' she said. Then this summer, Tracey's sister-in-law suggested she should enter the National Brown Bread Baking Competition. 'My sister-in-law saw this competition and she suggested that I entered it. I didn't really think that much about it. And then we were talking about it again and I decided to enter. So that's how it came about.' The competition, supported by Euronics in association with the National Ploughing Association and the Irish Country Women's Association, saw people from all over the country submitting their delicious entries throughout July. And just like that, Tracey was selected, along with other seven bakes nationwide, for the upcoming final. 'No one is more surprised than I am. It's my first competition and I'm delighted to have been selected, it was a huge surprise.' Recalling the phone call that changed her summer, Tracey said: 'I was so surprised. I think the first thing I did was I called my sister in law. Oh my God, I was thrilled. It was very surprising. 'When I dropped my entry there was loads already there. So I handed in my entry and I said okay, well it's been fun entering this, that's been enjoyable. Honestly I assumed that I wouldn't get any further. 'It's my first competition, I've never done anything like this before, so I was hugely surprised when the company rang and they were like we'd like to move you forward. I was so surprised. But thrilled, obviously.' Talking about her passion for cooking, the 42-year-od explained she started baking about ten years ago. 'So about 10 years ago and very simple stuff. I'm really interested in cooking from scratch and knowing how to make things. You don't need to make them every day, but it's nice to be able to. So that's one of my big motivators, being able to kind of cook meals from scratch.' However, she said there is no secret behind her brown bread recipe: 'I honestly I think it's good ingredients and time. 'If you're doing something regularly and you find something that works for you, well, then you're going to enjoy it. Because it's never a chore then, you're never doing work when you're doing something that you enjoy.' She added how for her cooking and baking are synonymous with relaxing and unwinding as she found in cooking a way of switching off from her busy life working in insurance and studying for her PhD. She explained: 'I am pretty busy. But baking is a welcome release. We really need time to wind down. 'It's all part of switching off from technology, switching off from everything. You can't use technology when you're doing something like that's manual.' The National Brown Bread Baking Competition's semi-finals will take place at the National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, Tullamore, County Offaly on September 16 and 17, with the final on the afternoon of September 18. When asked what she expects from that week, she said: 'I expect to see a lot of talented people doing what they do best. The ploughing is always a great showcase for Ireland and for rural life, I live rurally as well so it's always a great way to put our life on a national platform and that's always great. 'From the baking side of this, I'm expecting to be quite nervous. And I'm expecting to make some good bread.' The winning brown bread baker will walk away with a cash prize of €5,000 and a NEFF Slide and Hide oven, with the three finalists all walking away with a €500 Euronics gift card. If lucky enough to win the first place, Tracey said she will use the money prize to finish renovating her home. 'We're renovating our home, so if I'm fortunate enough to win the prize, the oven would be very welcome, obviously. And then the additional money would probably go into the bathroom or something like that.' As the news of the final is spreading, Tracey added she has been overwhelmed by the support received by the community, the family, new and old friends. 'This is a big competition for everybody. I didn't realise the extension of it until now. 'It's really funny because I've had an old friend reaching out to me. They saw the article on the RTE website and I haven't spoken to them in a long time and I got a message them saying 'oh my god!'. She added: 'It's wonderful to be part of things like this. And it's so much fun!'
Agriland
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Agriland
Brown Bread Baking Competition finalists revealed
The eight finalists for this year's National Brown Bread Baking Competition have been officially announced. The popular competition is supported by Euronics, in partnership with the National Ploughing Association (NPA) and the Irish Country Women's Association (ICA). Over the past month, the judges have sampled over 130 loaves of brown bread from every corner of Ireland. They have now whittled down dozens of worthy contenders to just eight exceptional bakers. The selected finalists are as follows: Pauline Browne (Dublin); Faith Ekonorue (Dublin); Helen Walker (Dublin); Áine Cotter (Cork); Maureen Igoe (Mayo); Josephine Kelly (Mayo); Tracey Mullin-Ryan (Galway); Kathy Bolger (Wexford). According to the judges each finalist represents "a blend of personal flair and deep-rooted Irish baking heritage, reflecting the diversity and richness of brown bread recipes passed down through generations". The semi-finals of the competition will take place at the National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly on September 16 and 17. The grand final, where Ireland's best brown bread baker will be selected, will be held on the afternoon of September 18. Rose Egan who won the competition in 2024. Image: Leigh Paige Spectators at the National Ploughing Championships will have the unique opportunity to witness the nation's top brown bread bakers in action, showcasing the skill, patience, and precision it takes to create Ireland's most beloved loaf. The winner will take home €5,000 in cash and a NEFF Slide and Hide Oven, which is valued at over €2,000. Áine Cotter from Co. Cork said she is "incredibly surprised and honoured to be chosen as a semi-finalist in the National Brown Bread Baking Competition". "It is a real privilege to take part in this truly unique and wholesome experience," she added. Another finalist, Pauline Browne from Co. Dublin explained how one of her earliest memories is kneeling on a chair by the kitchen table, helping her grandmother make the brown bread. "Never once did she use a weighing scale. It was all by feel. So this is very special for me to be a finalist at the National Brown Bread Baking competition," she said.
RTÉ News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
National Brown Bread Baking Competition finalists revealed
What makes for a perfect loaf of brown bread can be deeply personal and highly controversial, depending on who you ask. However, at the National Ploughing Championships, taking place 16-18 September, eight bakers will try to rise to the top, if you will, at the National Brown Bread Baking Competition. To narrow down the finalists, the judges sampled over 130 loaves from every corner of Ireland. Each finalist represents a blend of personal flair and deep-rooted Irish baking heritage, reflecting the diversity and richness of brown bread recipes passed down through generations. This year's talented line-up spans five counties, with each baker bringing their own story to the competition. Over the next month, they will prepare to face off in a high-stakes culinary showdown, all in pursuit of the coveted title of Ireland's best brown bread baker. The winner will take home €5,000 in cash and a NEFF Slide & Hide Oven, the very model made famous by The Great British Bake Off, which is valued at over €2,000. The semi-finals will take place at the National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly, on the 16 and 17 of September, with the grand final scheduled for the afternoon of 18 September. The finalists are: Pauline Browne (Dublin) Faith Ekonorue (Dublin) Helen Walker (Dublin) Áine Cotter (Cork) Maureen Igoe (Mayo) Josephine Kelly (Mayo) Tracey Mullin-Ryan (Galway) Kathy Bolger (Wexford)
