Savour the Midlands: 20 local products that all foodies need to try

Listen up, foodies. You won't want to miss this. The Midlands have been taking the food and drink scene by storm lately, and we've done a deep-dive into some of the products making mouths water across the region and beyond.

The recently launched Food and Drink Directory on MidlandsIreland.ie is packed full of award-winning local producers and products, making it easy to find the best of the best when visiting or living in the Midlands.

From milk and cheese to meats and baked goods, whiskeys to cordials, and an extensive organic range, there's something for all palates.

Well-known Midlands names such as Glenisk, Tullamore DEW, Odlums and Pat the Baker are being joined by an exciting range of quality artisan producers and an ever-growing choice of organic foods with sustainability at their heart.

So, let's take a closer look at some of the delicious produce we're sure you'll want to taste immediately.

Laois

The Good Bean Coffee Roastery

This micro coffee roastery specialises in crafting bespoke batches of high-quality coffee to order for customers across Ireland from Bloom HQ, a beautiful former convent at the foot of the Slieve Bloom mountains.

The Good Bean Coffee Roastery team source the finest green coffee beans, selecting those that score above 80 points on the speciality scale as well as exclusively roasting Arabica beans for the ultimate coffee experience.

Fiorbhia Farm

Fiorbhia Farm is a regenerative farm using forested land in collaboration with nature and animals to produce healthy happy nutrient rich food. The educational farm seeks to revive heritage methods of farming combined with new technologies to create better food and farms.

Farmer Brendan Guinan grows free-range pork, eggs, meat, chickens, heritage bronze turkeys, rose veal, honey, and biochar with animals living together and free to roam outdoors all year round.

O'Mimo's Chilli Madness

Whether you love a spicy hot sauce or prefer a milder, savoury flavour, O'Mimo's has something for you.

Their homemade fresh Chilli Sauces and Apple Chilli Sage Jam are made in small batches with premium local ingredients. These delicious and bold sauces are ideal for those who love food adventure and flavourful explosions.

Mueller & O'Connell Bakery

As foodie experiences go, it doesn't get any more quaint than a visit to Mueller & O'Connell Bakery in picturesque Abbeyleix.

The bakery produces 11 different kinds of bread daily, including seven types of sourdough loaves and its Wholegrain Spelt Loaf, which was awarded silver at the 2022 UK Bread Awards. It also produces a wide range of delicious seasonal pastries.

Temptation Chocolates

Chocolatiers and twin sisters Kate and Rachel O’Hara turned their lockdown hobby into a thriving business after being inspired by a life-long love of French patisseries and chocolatiers from childhood holidays.

Their award-winning range of handmade chocolates, bars and bonbons can be savoured at their unique Chocolate Café located in the historic Heritage House in Abbeyleix.

Longford

Richmount Cordial Co.

Boasting the largest elder tree orchard in Ireland, Richmount Cordial Co.'s expansive grove is home to over 2,000 trees. Their range of delicious drinks features freshly picked elderflowers and elderberries, free from concentrate, artificial sweeteners, or sulphites.

A stylish alternative to alcohol, these drinks are perfect for adding a touch of sophistication to all family occasions and celebrations.

Herterich Artisan Meats

The Herterich name has been synonymous with top-quality meats and sausages since the family first settled in Ireland in the 1950’s from Bavaria in southern Germany.

A dedication to sourcing the finest local produce and to service and quality remains true to this day, with the next generations of butchers continuing to serve the people of Longford and the surrounding areas, with their award-winning range of sausages a must-try for food lovers everywhere.

Goodness Grains Gluten Free Bakery

This innovative Longford business is one of the largest suppliers of gluten-free bakery products to the food service sector in Ireland, supplying hotels, restaurants, coffee shops, fast food outlets, and pubs throughout Ireland.

You will also find their range in stores including Dunnes Stores, Tesco, SuperValu, and other independent retailers and lifestyle shops.

Lough Ree Distillery

Nestled in the scenic town of Lanesborough, Co Longford, this family-owned distillery is renowned for crafting unique spirits.

From their multi-award-winning Sling Shot Distilled Irish Gin and Aiteal 100% Irish Gin to their 99 Vanilla Vodka and Zesty Citrus Vodka, there are flavours and options to suit every occasion. Lough Ree Distillery is also the first distillery ever to distil peat as a botanical in gin.

Uncle Bok Biltong and Boerewors

In 2006, Uncle Bok emerged as a passion project, crafting Boerewors and Biltong for the local South African community in Ireland. It has grown into Ireland's longest-established Biltong and Boerewors manufacturer from these modest origins.

The delicate process involves hand-trimming Biltong, marinating to perfection, and meticulous drying, while Boerewors undergoes a spiced, stuffed, and frozen procedure.

Westmeath

Dead Centre Brewing

In the heart of Athlone, County Westmeath, Dead Centre Brewing Company offers a hands-on and interactive brewery tour on the banks of the River Shannon.

Join them for a brewery tour and witness the artistry of craft beer brewing, where tradition meets innovation.

Barbavilla Dairy

This family-run business crafts a range of exquisite dairy products that reflect the rich agricultural heritage of our region.

These tasty dairy delights include Mediterranean-style cheeses, farmhouse butter, and more, all created from Irish sheep, cow, and goat milk.

Killucan Honey Farm

Multiflora honey is harvested from the native Irish honeybees at Killucan Honey Farm in Co. Westmeath. With a natural habitat around Hydepark and a special protection area along the Royal Canal where the native honeybees forage local wildflowers, this honey is unique in flavour.

Killucan Honey Farm produces Wildflower honey, heather honey, cut comb, and Ivy soft set honey, as well as artisan hand-made beeswax candles and beeswax products.

Kilbeggan Organic Foods

Passed down through 6 generations since 1844, the family-run organic farm seeks to preserve the land by farming in a responsible manner, leaving the soil in as good a condition as they inherited it.

Their organic oats are used to create a range of porridge oats, as well as delicious oat cookies, hand-made with the finest ingredients including Irish butter and their organic oats. The range is available from independent retailers nationwide.

Fore Distillery

Nestled in the shadows of the ancient Fore Abbey in the valleys of northern Westmeath, Fore Distillery produce a range of small-batch spirits including white and golden rums, and a unique Poitin, using local recipes inspired by the 7th century Benedictine monks of the Abbey.

Having discovered a passion for distilling in America, Oliver Guirke returned home to open the distillery, fusing the craft of distilling with the traditions of the wild Irish countryside.

Offaly

Mount Briscoe Organic Farm

Mount Briscoe is a working organic farm set amid 100 acres of pasture and woodland. It offers farm stays in a beautiful Georgian Country Home and two glamping pods.

They also host a number of workshops and events, the most anticipated being the Harvest Feast in September and the annual Christmas Fair, where the range of food produce is available.

Feighery's Farm Beetroot Juice

Feighery's Farm multi-award-winning Irish Beetroot Juice is crafted from homegrown pesticide-free Offaly Beetroot (70%) and Tipperary apples (30%).

Recognised as an Irish superfood, beetroot is renowned for its health benefits, making this juice delicious and a nutritious and energising drink. The juice offers a naturally sweet experience with no added sugar, providing a refreshing and health-boosting addition to your daily routine.

Boora Bainne

Unlike large milk processors, Borra Bainne doesn't homogenise its milk. Instead, it is gently heated to 65 degrees and held there for half an hour. This method extends the shelf life of the milk while preserving the taste of raw milk by not changing its structure.

Once the milk has cooled, the teams fill the milk barrels and place them in milk refill machines, where you can fill up a reusable glass bottle with fresh, local milk.

Garryhinch Wood Exotic Mushrooms

Garryhinch Wood Exotic Mushrooms is a family-run farm on the Laois Offaly border, specialising in high-quality organic mushrooms.

Cultivated from sawmill and farming waste streams, they grow a diverse range of mushrooms, including Shiitake, Maitake, White Beech, Lions Mane, Forest Nameko, and various Oyster mushrooms. Not only delicious but also versatile, these exotic mushrooms are a wholesome addition to any dish.

Wild Irish Foragers

This family-run business is deeply rooted in the practice of foraging from the woodlands, meadows, hedgerows, and boglands on and around its fifth-generation family farm.

Using old, almost forgotten recipes, they create "Tastes of the Past" from the handpicked wild bounty, such as spring nettle syrup and a traditional crab-apple jelly recipe with an added chilli "kick".

It's an exciting time for Midlands Food & Drink, with many producers winning awards from Blas na hEireann, the Food Writer's Guild, and more.

Savour the Food and Drink of the Midlands, and discover more by browsing the official Midlands Food and Drink Directory.