Labour of loaf! Mayo woman’s award-winning brown bread to hit ALDI shelves nationwide

  • Loretta McGuire’s incredible brown bread on sale in 161 ALDI stores nationwide from January 22nd
  • Loretta was crowned winner of National Brown Bread Baking Competition at last year’s National Ploughing Championships, taking home €15,000

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 now available in all 161 ALDI stores

The 93rd National Ploughing Championships will take place in Ratheniska, Co. Laois in 2024

Europe’s largest outdoor event, “The National Ploughing Championships” is set to return next year to the central and scenic location of Ratheniska, Co Laois from September 17th to 19th for the third year in a row.

The well-liked site was confirmed as an excellent location for next year’s event at the National Ploughing Championships prize-giving ceremony attended by over 500 in Portlaoise.  Speaking after the announcement the NPA Managing  Director Anna May McHugh said “The NPA are delighted to be holding the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co Laois again next year.  Feedback from landowners, the local community and the wider public has been very positive and all were enthusiastic to see a return to Co. Laois.”

“It worked well as a location this year despite the inclement weather conditions.  The site has proved popular for several reasons including its location in the middle of Ireland.”

Anna May McHugh also congratulated all of the winners who were awarded at today’s Prize-Giving Banquet.  Irish Ploughing has never been so well represented on the global stage and is the envy of other nations with the historic back to back wins of the Republic of Ireland team at the recent World Ploughing Contest in Latvia with both Eamonn Tracey from Carlow & Wexford’s John Whelan being crowned Supreme World Ploughing Champions in their respective classes.   In addition, there was a magnificent result at the European Ploughing Championships with Jer Coakley from Cork winning first place gold and Dan Donnelly from Wexford securing the Reserve European Ploughing Champion position.

 

Sun shines on the final day of this year’s National Ploughing Championships

As the sun sets and  the traffic flows from the car parks this evening, the total attendance figure for the 2023 National Ploughing Championships came to a total of 200,550 over the three days, there was a wonderful atmosphere today with exhibitors and visitors alike thoroughly enjoying themselves on the final day of this year’s ‘Ploughing’.       

Speaking at the close of business, NPA Managing Director Anna May McHugh said “Despite experiencing a very wet start on Tuesday, the overall mood for this year’s Ploughing has been incredibly upbeat and positive.  With so much for visitors to enjoy from quality livestock & serious machinery to fashion, playground, innovations, crafts & cookery competitions and sports stars galore there was something for every member of the family to enjoy.”

Attending today Tánaiste Michéal Martin, returning early from the United Nations meeting in New York, congratulated the NPA on another great year, he paid tribute to Anna May McHugh, the NPA, gardai, staff and the several hundred volunteers required to host an event of its scale and scope.

The much anticipated National Brown Bread Baking Competition final took place in the Aldi tent in front of an audience of several hundred. The overall winner in first place was Loretta McGuire from Mayo, who was absolutely thrilled with her win. 

In the ploughing competition Eamonn Tracey from Carlow won the overall Conventional class, while West Cork man Jer Coakley won the Reversible Ploughing competition.  

Wishing you all a very safe journey home and looking forward to next year already.

Applied launches its Varimount 120 PTO driven air compressor at the 2023 National Ploughing Championships

The 2023 National Ploughing Championships was the backdrop to the launch of Applied’s new PTO driven air compressor – the Varimount 120 – essentially a little brother to the Varimount 350. 

The launch was hosted by Father Phil – father of popular agri influencer, Farmer Phil – and attended by an enthusiastic crowd, despite the inclement weather, including people from the agricultural, construction, and related sectors. 

“We couldn’t be more pleased with the turnout for the launch of the Varimount 120, the latest addition to our family of PTO compressors. We’re also grateful to Father Phil for hosting the launch. His presence and warm personality, no doubt, helped drive attendance and keep the audience engaged,” says Mark Clendennen, CEO of Applied Concepts Ltd. 

“We believe the Varimount 120 is a game changer for farmers, contractors, and people working in the agricultural, commercial, construction, and light industrial sectors. And this year’s National Ploughing Championships gave us the perfect opportunity to showcase what it can do.” 

Applied’s Varimount 120 does not disappoint, building on the same features and functions that have made its big brother – the Varimount 350 – the world’s number one PTO compressor. 

“With a guaranteed output of 120 CFM, it’s ideally suited to a range of applications like blowing down equipment, powering a blasting machine, or jetting cable into a pre-installed duct,” adds Mr. Clendennen.

The air power you need, when you need it!

“The goal was to create a PTO Compressor that delivers the same level of reliability, versatility, and durability offered by the Varimount 350 without requiring the same horse power and with an emphasis on affordability,” explains Mr. Clendennen.

The Varimount 120 may be a smaller unit, but it’s made to the same exacting standards that have made the County Offaly based company Europe’s leading designer and manufacturer of blasting machines and PTO driven air compressors. 

“Everything we do at Applied is about our customers. Our customers wanted an equally robust, but more compact, lightweight version of the Varimount 350 that can run off smaller model tractors and the Varimount 120 offers just that. We’re very conscious of the economic burdens facing our customers and our role in engineering machinery geared to help them cut their running costs while boosting productivity and efficiency.” 

“We felt the demand warranted investing in the development of a PTO compressor that delivers the air power to tackle everyday agricultural, commercial, construction, and industrial tasks at a price point that fits our customers’ budgets.”

Following in the footsteps of the world’s number one PTO Compressor

The Varimount 120 follows in the footsteps of the Varimount 350, which set the benchmark for PTO compressors. The brainchild of Applied’s expert mechanical and product design engineers, it is designed and manufactured at Applied’s state-of-the-art facility in Birr, Co. Offaly. Over one thousand hours of field testing have proven it tough enough to surpass customers’ expectations in a range of applications, even in the harshest of outdoor environments.

“Our customers deserve a compressor that can handle anything they throw at it. That’s why we’ve checked and rechecked every element to ensure it lives up to the same attention to detail and exceptional manufacturing standards they’ve come to associate with the Applied name,” adds Mr. Clendennen.

Like the Varimount 350, the Varimount 120 can be quickly and easily mounted onto the rear or front linkage of any tractor. What’s more, the Varimount 120 shares the tractor’s engine. This two-for-one design means diesel emissions are automatically halved, making it better for customers and better for the environment. Plus, its compact size makes the Varimount 120 suited to manoeuvring in tight spaces without adding unnecessary extra weight.

Every aspect of the Varimount 120 is engineered to ease our customer’s workload while eliminating the challenges and potential hazards of towing a standard mobile compressor. From its Pinnacle Air End and patented pneumatic controls to its Combi-Cooler and premium quality finish, the emphasis is on maximised performance and hassle-free maintenance, making the portable air power our customers need more attainable and affordable.”

But the Varimount 120 is not just good news for customers. Its launch promises to create ten new positions at Applied’s manufacturing facility, Birr, County. Offaly.

“The Varimount 120 a project that has been two years in the making and thanks to Father Phil, its launch at the 2023 National Ploughing Championships has been a huge success,” concludes Mr. Clendennen.

About Applied Concepts Ltd.

Applied Concepts Ltd. is Europe’s leading designer and manufacturer of blasting machines and PTO driven air compressors. Established in 2010, the company operates out of Birr, Co. Offaly, in the Republic of Ireland where its state-of-the art production facility is based. From superior quality, CE approved portable blasting machines and blasting cabinets to best-in-class PTO compressors, the Applied name comes with a promise of safety, durability, and unbeatable value for money backed by the technical support of its expert Applied Service Team. 

Contact Details

Contact Person: Wendy Borland (PR Campaign Manager), Mark Clendennen (CEO, Applied Concepts Ltd.)

Contact Number: +353 (0)57 913 7929

Email: wendy@appliedpi.com

Website: www.ptocompressors.com

Address: Roscrea Road, Birr, Co. Offaly, R42 XW08, Republic of Ireland