Bord Bia has estimated that consumers spent over €10 million at the Bloom festival, that took place in the Phoenix Park Dublin over the June bank holiday weekend.
Several of the gardens exhibited at the festival will be rehomed to different sites around Ireland, according to a statement from Bord Bia. For instance, Dementia Ireland’s garden will be moved to St.Ita’s Community Hospital in Newcastlewest, Limerick so people living with dementia can enjoy the garden.
Cancer patients and their families at the Cuisle Centre in Portlaoise can soon enjoy the Marie Keating Foundation’s Breath of Life garden.
Festival Highlights
The festival featured 22 show gardens, 14 postcard gardens and 28 nursery displays and over 100 awards were given to show garden designers, amateur postcard garden designers and nurseries and floral artists. Additionally, 20,000 visitors left plants in the Plant Créche, and 10,000 Irish plants were sold at the Quality Mark Plant Village.
“We are proud that Bloom continues to evolve and this year’s show so accurately reflected our changing times and the mood of the nation,” Bord Bia’s chief executive Tara McCarthy said.
“Important stories and conversations around the key themes of sustainability and biodiversity have taken place across nearly every aspect of the show. Our show gardens, postcard gardens and panel discussions highlighted key issues from climate change, environmentally friendly packaging and the importance of physical and mental well-being, to protecting Ireland’s indigenous bee population and the need to safeguard our marine environments.”
Looking Ahead
Over 115,000 people visited the festival along with 250 UK and Irish food buyers and 100 food and drink companies. Bord Bia said they have begun planning the next festival and Bloom 2020 will take place from May 28, 2020 to Monday, June 1, 2020.
“Now in its 13th year, Bloom provides Bord Bia with an invaluable opportunity to engage with the public, helping us to build insight and share new ideas while also celebrating and showcasing the best of Ireland’s horticulture, food and drink industry,” McCarthy said. “Bloom has a strong track record of delivering sales and new business for those exhibiting, both here onsite and in the key months following the festival.”
© 2019 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Libby Seline. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
