Dublin bakers took home the top prizes at the Senior and Junior National Brown Bread Baking Competitions, which took place on the final day of the 2026 National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, Tullamore today.
Olivia Nash from Dublin was crowned Ireland’s best senior brown bread baker of 2026, with Cara Wall from Dublin being announced as the winner of the junior (12-18-years-old) category of the competition.
Olivia Nash
Senior winner Nash, a Digital Marketing Executive, is an avid baker and founder of the Loaves by Olivia Instagram account.
With a passion for preventing food waste, the mum of one is known for making sustainably baked treats, such as sourdough discard English muffins and oat chocolate chip cookies.
She says she signed up for the National Brown Bread Competition because her husband insisted her bread was best – and it seems he was right!
Speaking about her win, Olivia said: “I thought my husband was lying that my bread was nice, but I’m really happy to learn he’s been telling the truth the past few years and I’m delighted to have won.”
Nash and seven other competitors entered the baking tent earlier in the week, with the semi-finals taking place on the 15 and 16 September.
From there, Nash went head-to-head with three other finalists in the grand final, with each baker bringing a blend of personal flair and deep-rooted Irish baking heritage, reflecting the diversity and richness of brown bread recipes passed down through generations.
Judging the competition again this year were Eleanor Martin from NEFF, Thelma Burke from the ICA and Eileen Brennan, winner of the 1973 competition, representing the NPA.
In the end, Nash blew the judges away, and her award-winning brown bread has earned her €5,000 in cash and a NEFF Slide & Hide Oven worth over €2,000, the same model famously used on The Great British Bake Off. The three other finalists received a €500 Euronics gift card.
Describing Olivia’s bread, judge Eleanor Martin said: “It had a fantastic appearance. Lovely balanced flavour and it cut beautifully. It was the kind of bread you’d want to put in a bag and take home.”
Cara Wall
Earlier in the day, Junior competition winner Cara Wall blew the judges away with her grandmother’s brown bread recipe, earning her a €1,500 Euronics voucher, with an additional €1,500 Euronics voucher awarded to their school. The other three junior finalists received a €250 Euronics voucher each.
Speaking on her win, Cara said: “I’m delighted to win, and I’m glad that I got to use my grandmother’s recipe. My school will also love the voucher!”
Cara was commended by judge Eileen Brennan (winner of the competition in 1973), who said: “Cara’s bread came out on top as it was very appealing to the eye and had all the elements we were looking for.
“The flavour and smell were lovely, and the crust was quite soft on it which makes a difference. Overall, the standard for the junior competition was so high, and we needed a full half hour to come to a conclusion, but we came to a unanimous decision that Cara’s was the winning loaf”.