Flour power as Rose rises and rakes in dough!
‘DELIGHTED’: Rose Egan from Co Offaly
ROSE Egan was in tears when she was announced as the winner of the National Brown Bread Baking competition.
After two days of semi-finals at the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co Laois, the coveted 2024 final took place yesterday.
Four finalists put on their best aprons and got baking as the sun shone down on the final day of the farming event yesterday.
But there could only be one winner – and that was Co Offaly’s Rose.
The home baker was in shock when her name was announced, saying: “There are no words, I honestly did not believe I would get this far.
“I am so delighted to get to the final, I am so stuck for words.”
Holding back tears, she added: “I would like to dedicate this win to my late brother, I felt he was with me all the time.”
Rose’s son, Garry Egan, then hopped on the stage to give his mother a massive hug.
The 30-year-old told The Star that he was “shaking” and “over the moon” after his mother’s win.
He added: “She was here two years ago and got to the semi-final. She put in her bread not expecting to make it through, and now she has won it.
“I am on the sidelines, taste-testing of course. “I see all the hard work that goes into it. I am delighted for her.
“To see her get recognition of what I’ve been tasting for the last while is amazing, now everyone else can see it.”
Rose walked away from the coveted competition with a cash prize of €5,000, and a Neff Slide & Hide oven. The three other finalists were presented with €500 Euronics gift cards.
Last year, the winner of the competition won a prize of €15,000 and had their brown bread stocked in all 150 Aldi stores nationwide.
However, the supermarket was not a sponsor for
2024.