More than 106,000 visitors made their way to the Bloom festival in the Phoenix Park over the June Bank Holiday weekend, according to Bord Bia.
Speaking at the event yesterday, Aidan Cotter, Chief Executive, Bord Bia said this year's Bloom festival "has been an outstanding success and feedback from those trading onsite has been extremely positive. Bloom is now firmly established in the parklands setting of the Phoenix Park and is regarded as the most important event in the Irish horticulture calendar. Bord Bia is privileged to provide this public showcase of Ireland’s world-class food and horticulture sectors, both of which significantly contribute to Ireland’s economy.”
Over 80,000 plants were sold at Bloom 2014, at an estimated value of €750,000, while the Craft Council of Ireland reported €200,000 worth of sales within the event's Craft Village. 116 Bloom medals and awards were presented over the five days to garden designers, nurseries, floral artists, exhibitors and botanical artists, including the Renault ZOE: City Life Garden, designed by Kevin Dennis, winner of the Large Garden category.
130 food buyers attended Bord Bia’s business breakfast at Bloom on Friday morning for one to one meetings with the exhibiting artisan food and drink companies.
