Two Westmeath bakers in running for brown bread title

Westmeath women are having a good week: not alone has Caoilfhinn Ní Choiligh won the Rose of Tralee, but their culinary skills have earned two of them places in the semi-finals of the National Brown Bread Baking Competition.

The two are Ber Ennis from Ballinagore and Therese Lonergan from Athlone.

Nationally, there are just eight semi-finalists in the competition, sponsored by Euronics in partnership with the National Ploughing Association (NPA) and the Irish Countrywomen’s Association (ICA), and so it is hugely exciting that two of them are from Westmeath.

The semi-finals are at the National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, Tullamore, on September 15 and 16.

The top four contestants will then progress to the final on Thursday September 17, when they will compete for the coveted national baking title.

Therese said she was “delighted but totally surprised” to have had her entry selected. “I’m looking forward to participating in Tullamore in September,” she said.

For Ber, who is 87, the achievement was equally unexpected. “I could not believe it when Westmeath was called out at the ICA final!” she said.

“I am very excited to be representing Westmeath at the National Ploughing Championships and it’s a great achievement at my age of 87!”

There is a significant prize awaiting the eventual champion, who will take home €5,000 in cash along with a NEFF Slide and Hide oven worth more than €2,000.

The three other finalists will each receive €500 Euronics gift cards, while all other finalists will receive €250 Euronics gift cards and Neff hampers.