There is something almost comforting about the smell of brown bread baking. It's the kind of thing that stops you mid-chaos — mid-school-run, mid-laundry-mountain, mid-whatever fresh disaster the day has thrown at you — and makes the house feel like home for a minute. If your kitchen regularly produces a decent loaf, now might be the time to do something with that talent.
The National Brown Bread Baking Competition 2026, sponsored by Euronics in association with the National Ploughing Association and the Irish Countrywomen's Association, is currently taking entries — and the final deadline is closer than you think. Bakers across Ireland are being encouraged to submit their loaves ahead of the last drop-off date on 7th August.
What's the prize?
The senior champion will take home €5,000 in cash plus a NEFF Slide&Hide® oven worth more than €2,000. That is a serious prize for what is, at its heart, a loaf of bread — albeit a very well-made one. For the junior category, the winning baker aged 12–18 will receive a €1,500 Euronics voucher, with an additional €1,500 Euronics voucher going to their school. So if you've a teenager at home who has been quietly perfecting a recipe they learned from a grandparent, this is absolutely worth their time.
Sixteen finalists — eight senior and eight junior — will be selected to compete live at the National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly from 15–17 September, with the final taking place on 17th September.
National Brown Bread winner shows off her winning loaves.
Where and when to drop off your entry
Entries will be collected at designated Euronics stores on three dates: Friday 17th July, Friday 24th July and Friday 7th August, from 9.00am to 11.00am only. The organisers are clear that no entries will be accepted after 11am, so plan accordingly.
Here's a breakdown of drop-off locations by date:
Friday 17th July (9am–11am):
TJ O'Mahonys, Prosperous, Co. Kildare
Grange Baldoyle, Baldoyle Industrial Estate, Co. Dublin
Mastercare in Killester, 164 Howth Road, Dublin
BSH Home of Innovation, Ballymount Industrial Estate, Dublin 12
Heavins, Shannon Retail Park, Dublin Road, Athlone, Co. Westmeath
Friday 24th July (9am–11am):
Bandon Co-Op, Bandon, Co. Cork
Jack Fitzgerald, Howleys Quay, Limerick
Joyce's Hardware & Home, Headford, Co. Galway
Harrys Electric, Moynehall Retail Park, Cavan
Lally's Euronics, Centery Business Park, Dundalk, Co. Louth
Grahams of Monaghan, Coolshannagh Roundabout, Monaghan
King & Moffatt Euronics, Sligo Road, Co. Roscommon
BSH Home of Innovation, Ballymount Industrial Estate, Dublin 12
Friday 7th August (9am–11am):
Redmond Electric, WFC Retail Park, Gorey, Co. Wexford
Keans Claremorris, Mount Street, Claremorris, Co. Mayo
Brodericks Westport, 5 Castlebar Road, Westport, Co. Mayo
Callaghan's Electrical, Letterkenny Retail Park, Co. Donegal
ElectroCity Carlow, Hanover Retail Park, Carlow
ElectroCity Kilkenny, Ordmonde Business Park, Kilkenny
ElectroCity Waterford, Kingsmeadown Retail Park, Waterford
BSH Home of Innovation, Ballymount Industrial Estate, Dublin 12
A tradition worth entering
There's something genuinely lovely about a competition like this one. Brown bread is woven into Irish kitchens in a way that few other recipes are — it's the thing made on Sunday mornings, left cooling on the counter, sliced thick and eaten warm with too much butter. Many bakers will have learned their recipe from a mother or grandmother who never once weighed an ingredient in their life.
The junior category is a particularly welcome addition. If you've a young baker at home who has been putting in the hours, there's real prize money and real recognition up for grabs — not to mention what would be an incredible experience at the Ploughing Championships, one of the biggest events on the Irish calendar.
For full details on how to enter, terms, conditions and competition rules, visit euronics.ie.
