6th June 2011: Bloom, Bord Bia’s gardening, food and family festival finishes today and the fifth year of the event has been its most successful yet. Bloom attracted almost 90,000 visitors to the 70 acre site at the visitors centre in the Phoenix Park Dublin over the June Bank holiday weekend.
President of Ireland and Patron of Bloom, Mary Mc Aleese and her husband, Senator Martin McAleese visited Bloom today to mark the closing day of the event. President McAleese spent one hour at the event visiting the showgardens, meeting the designers and members of the public. The President addressed a large crowd at the Chefs Summer Kitchen, part of the new Bord Bia Food Village. Celebrity Chef Neven Maguire presented the President with a hamper of artisan produce from the Food Market.
Speaking at today’s event Aidan Cotter, CEO, Bord Bia said “Over these last five days the spirit that had lifted the nation in recent weeks was once again in evidence among almost 90,000 visitors who came to witness and applaud the magic and creativity of our garden designers, of our artisan food producers, and our craftsmen and women who remind us of the richness of resource that resides within and around us.”
Bloom Show Gardens
A total of 78 medals were awarded on the first day of the show to garden designers, nurseries and floral artists and the international judging panel commented that the gardens were some of the best they had seen in the history of the event. The overall large garden category award went to To The Waters Edge, a visually striking garden featuring a sunken seating area, designed by Oliver and Liat Schurmann, Mount Venus Nurseries, Dublin. Visitors to the show over the 5 days were encouraged to vote for their favourite garden and today the Peoples Choice award went to An Adventure with Thumbelina designed by first-time Bloom designer Jack Harte, New Ross, Co.Wexford.
Bord Bia Food Village
The new Bord Bia Food Village was a key attraction at this year’s show, bringing all of the food aspects of the show together in one central location for the first time. Exhibitors reported that the new feature was a phenomenal success providing them with an opportunity to showcase brands, interact with new and existing customers and sell large quantities of products.
Bloom by numbers
- * 90,000 people – up 50% on last year
- * 5 days of gardening, food and family activities
- * 70 acre site at the Phoenix Park visitors centre
- * 22,000 people attended on Saturday – a record daily attendance
- * 27 spectacular show gardens covering 3,000 square metres
- * 78 medals awarded to garden designers, nurseries and floral artists
- * 53 international media including 1 Arab; 1 Dutch and 3 Chinese TV crews
- * 400 exhibitors from the food and horticulture industry
- * 49 Artisan Food Traders
- * 10 Micro Breweries
- * 10,000 square metres of indoor covered space
- * 8,000 metres of trackway for paths and roadways
- * 150 voluntary Bloom Ambassadors
- * 22 cookery demonstrations with celebrity chefs such as Neven Maguire, Catherine Fulvio, Jenny Bristow, Donal Skehan and Rozanne Stevens
- * 35 Garden experts talks featuring Gerry Daly and Dermot O’Neill
Bloom 2012
Bord Bia has announced that Bloom 2012 will take place from Thursday 31st May – Monday June 4th and planning for next years event will commence immediately.
