Carlow beverage producers in line-up for Ireland’s largest floral, food, and family festival

Ireland’s favourite festival of flowers, food and fun, Bord Bia Bloom returns to the Phoenix Park, Dublin, this June bank holiday weekend (Thursday 1st – Monday 5th June) with another vibrant mix of thought-provoking show gardens, delicious local food, and interactive entertainment for visitors of all ages. Local beverage producers, Sunshine Juice and Carlow Brewing Company and plant nursery Arboretum from Co. Carlow will be among those featured at this year’s event. 

At the centrepiece of Bord Bia Bloom, a total of *22 small, medium, and large show gardens and feature gardens will provide a colourful demonstration of the latest trends and innovations in garden design.  

Bord Bia expect to welcome more than 100,000 visitors to the show over five action-packed days. Speaking at the launch of this year’s event, Jim O’Toole, CEO, Bord Bia said, “Bord Bia Bloom was created to offer a world-class, uplifting and engaging showcase for Irish horticulture, food and drink. Now in its 17th year, the show provides an invaluable platform to highlight important societal issues such as climate change, sustainable production and health and wellbeing. We are proud to see how Bloom has evolved into a unique festival experience, with nature and sustainable living at its heart, while also continuing to offer our horticulture, food and drink clients the opportunity to showcase their latest products and innovations.” 

Postcard Gardens 

Along with a dazzling display of show gardens, gardening enthusiasts will find plenty of inspiration in the ever-popular ‘Postcard Gardens’, which include nine small but perfectly formed pop-up gardens that are designed and built by community groups, schools, and training groups from across Ireland. There will also be five days of gardening talks, a bustling Nursery Village featuring some of Ireland's leading nurseries, floral displays from the Ireland’s finest floral artists and a botanical art exhibition. From Carlow, Arboretum nursery and garden centre in Leighlinbridge will be in attendance.  

Food Glorious Food 

New to the event this year is the introduction of the Funky Food Fleet which will bring a collection of Ireland’s tastiest food trucks to the festival for the first time.  

The Quality Kitchen Stage at the centre of the Food Village will once again host live cookery demonstrations from some of Ireland’s leading chefs including Neven Maguire, Catherine Fulvio, Rory O’Connell, Fiona Uyema, JP McMahon, Edward Hayden, Brian McDermott and Shane Smith, along with interviews with more than 40 Irish food producers.  

In the redesigned Food Hall and the popular Bloom Inn, over 100 Irish food and drink companies will showcase their produce and many companies will use the opportunity to launch new and exciting food and drink products.  

From Carlow, two local producers will join the line-up: 

Sunshine Juice Ltd based in Tinryland Park, Co. Carlow offer a wide range of award-winning fresh fruit and vegetable products meeting the increasing demand of today’s health-conscious consumer seeking a tasty, easy option of consumers one of five a day fruit and vegetables as part of a balanced diet. The company will be launching a brand new Walshe's range with a re-brand of the logo and label. 

Carlow brewing based in Muine Bheag Co. Carlow is a craft brewery that produces the popular O’Hara’s brand of beers. It prides itself on brewing traditional Irish beers with an interpretation of international beer styles, including stouts and ales, wheat beers and lagers. The brewery is in the heart of Ireland’s traditional malt and hop-growing “Barrow Valley” region which has strong historical linkages to the Irish brewing industry. 

There is also plenty to do for all the family with live entertainment on the Main Stage, while the ‘Budding Bloomers’ area promises to keep children engaged and entertained with willow weaving, planting games, toddler play area and much more!  
RTÉjr will also be central to this space with daily storytelling, a kids disco and magic shows.  

Finally, RTÉ lyric fm is back for with what is shaping up to be their biggest presence to date with great music, lyric fm favourites and exclusive events for Bloom visitors.