Loretta McGuire from Co. Mayo, the winner of the 2023 National Brown Baking Competition sponsored by ALDI in association with the National Ploughing Association and the Irish Countrywomen’s Association, will see her award-winning brown bread go on sale in 161 ALDI stores nationwide for a 12-month period.
An enthusiastic home baker, Loretta beat out stiff competition to be crowned the winner of last year’s National Brown Bread Baking Competition with judges dazzled by the bread’s taste and texture. Now ALDI shoppers can taste this hearty, rustic loaf for themselves when Loretta’s Brown Bread €1.99/600g goes on sale from January 22nd.
The bread will be produced for ALDI by O’Hara’s of Foxford, a family-owned company based in Loretta’s native Co. Mayo. ALDI has a longstanding relationship with O’Hara’s of Foxford with the company supplying a number of bread and confectionery products to ALDI.
Last year’s National Brown Bread Baking Competition final took place in the ALDI Marquee at the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co. Laois. Eight amateur bakers from across Ireland competed against one another over the course of a hotly contested two-day bake off. Following much deliberation, Loretta’s bread was judged to be a cut above the rest, and she was named the overall winner, taking home a grand prize of €15,000.
The National Brown Bread Baking Competition aims to showcase the finest amateur bakers and promote the art of brown bread baking across Ireland. Since the competition was brought back in 2014, it is a very popular event at the National Ploughing Championships, attracting hundreds of entrants each year.
Speaking ahead of the launch of her new brown bread, Loretta McGuire said: “Winning the National Brown Bread Baking Competition has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience. When I was baking in my kitchen, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that someday I would see my very own brown bread stocked on supermarket shelves. I am so grateful to ALDI for this opportunity and I look forward to sharing Loretta’s Brown Bread with people all over Ireland - from my kitchen to yours!”
Laurence Kelly, Buying Director at ALDI, said: “ALDI has been a proud sponsor and supporter of the National Brown Bread Baking Competition along with our partners in the National Ploughing Association and Irish Countrywomen’s Association for over 10 years. Last year’s competition was one to remember and confirmed not only that Ireland is home to a huge number of gifted bakers but that the tradition of brown bread baking is alive and well. On behalf of everyone in ALDI, I wish to extend my congratulations to Loretta on her win. We are proud to stock her high-quality, locally produced bread at an affordable price point and look forward to sharing it with our customers nationwide.”
NPA Managing Director Anna May McHugh said: “We would like to offer our heartfelt congratulation to Loretta on being named the winner of this year’s National Brown Bread Baking Competition. It fills me with pride to see the competition continue to endure and remain as popular as ever since its inception in the early 1950s with hundreds of the most talented bakers from all over the country competing to be named ‘The Best Brown Bread Baker in Ireland’.”
Loretta’s Brown Bread €1.99 (600g) is available in all 161 ALDI stores from January 22nd.
Slán go fóill.