Pictured at the launch of this year’s National Brown Bread Baking Competition, sponsored by ALDI is Anna May Mc Hugh, MD of National Ploughing Association (NPA); Peter Bough, ALDI Buying Director; and Hilda Roche, Irish Countrywomen’s Association (ICA) President.

Aprons at the ready for local brown bread makers!

Published: Mon 10 Jul 2023, 4:10 PM

Last updated: Mon 10 Jul 2023, 4:43 PM

Bread-bakers extraordinaire from across the Midlands are reminded that next Wednesday, July 19, is the last day to enter their brown bread in a national brown bread baking competition which offers a chance to have it stocked on the shelves of 160 ALDI stores nationwide.

Entrants from the Midlands can drop off their brown bread at the Athlone branch of ALDI at Golden Island, Ankers Bower (postcode: N37 FC04) between the hours of 9am and 11am on July 19, and all entrants are asked to label their bread with name, address, e-mail address and phone number. No entries will be accepted outside of the designated drop-off hours.

The National Brown Bread Baking Competition, which is sponsored by ALDI in association with the NPA and ICA, is one of the most popular features of the National Ploughing Championships. All finalists in this year's competition will be invited to take part in the live finals at the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, county Laois from September 19 to 21 next.

The finalists will be contacted by August 11, and one finalist will be crowned the national winner and will have their brown bread stocked in 160 ALDI stores nationwide.. Not only that, but they will receive a first prize of €15,000.

The competition is free and open to all members of the public with entrants invited to drop off their freshly baked bread at one of the designated nine ALDI locations, only one of which is located in the Midlands, in Athlone.

Visit https://www.aldi.ie/brown-bread-competition or www.ica.ie for information on how to enter, as well as full terms and conditions.