The Orange and Gin Hot Chocolate Pot, handmade by Balrea’s An Olivia Chocolates was awarded silver at the Blas na hÉireann awards.
This is the 19th win for owner and self-confessed chocoholic Olivia Curran, who explained why these awards in particular make a difference.
“Blas na hÉireann awards are a recognition of all the hard work that goes in day after day for small artisan producers like us. They give the product a stamp of quality and adds authenticity to the product.”
Olivia first attended the Dingle family-run awards in 2013, and she has been there most years since.
“The first time I went to the awards I thought they were phenomenal. The competition is fierce but it is a fabulous family-run movement for food.
That year I won Supreme Champion, which was the top award in the country. After that, instead of me having to market to customers, they found me. It made a massive difference.”
One of the benefits of winning a Blas na hÉireann award is that the seller, e.g. a brand supermarket, must acknowledge the winning producer to use the award on the product, supporting the small operator.
Now, Olivia would like to see a similar movement close to home.
“If Westmeath could do some sort of food festival it would be great for Mullingar. We had started the Westmeath Food Network before Covid, and had some good events like demonstrations and food fairs.
“Our first ever demo was with Kevin Dundon in The Park Hotel, Anne Hamill organised that. Then Rebecca O’Brien organised Rachel Allen. Stemming from that event, I got onto her TV program All Things Sweet. You never know where these things lead. We’ve been to food fairs in the RDS too. It’s about supporting and promoting small producers because it can get exhausting pulling and dragging to markets all the time.
“We are working with Leader right to see what we can do, it would be great to have something locally.”
Perhaps 2025 will see a 20th award for Olivia but for now she returns to what she loves doing most – making, and eating, chocolate.
“I’m in business since 2010 but I’ve been a chocoholic all my life. For me, An Olivia Chocolates is about enjoyment, satisfaction and being able to eat the products. I’m always trying out new things that I have to taste. It’s not work if you enjoy what you do this much.”
An Olivia Chocolates are on sale at Wines Direct in Mullingar and online at
anoliviachocolate.com
