Waterford is famous for its’ Blaa, a soft white bread roll, that has a long connection to the city and county. It’s said by the locals that there isn’t a Blaa to be found in Waterford after midday. This affectionate anecdote reflects the fact this every day favourite in Waterford is the quintessential morning product, filled with crispy bacon, sausages and whatever other goodies you fancy in your Blaa! But how did the Waterford Blaa become so famous and well loved? Let us tell you a story.
The tradition of the Waterford Blaa dates back to the late 17th Century and the arrival of a group of Huguenots to the city. At that time, Waterford was a powerful trading city for wares such as leather, wheat, flour, butter, and other agricultural produce from the area, which were shipped to England and the Continent. One of the enterprising Huguenots set up a bakery in Waterford city in 1702. Here they baked bread to feed their own families and children. It’s thought the round bread rolls, now familiar as Blaas, were first made from leftover pieces of bread dough. A ‘waste not, want not’ answer to using every scrap of the bread mix. Modern Waterford bakers now believe the name ‘Blaa’ was corrupted from Huguenot words ‘Blaad’ – an old French word for flour, or ‘Blanc,’ – a French word meaning white, which refers to the unique white floury appearance of these rolls.
Another leap in the history of the Waterford Blaa came when Brother Ignatius Rice, founder of the Christian Brothers, set up his own bakery and tailor’s shop at his newly opened school in Mount Sion, Waterford City, in 1802. From here, as the Blaa became popular with the poor of the city, other bakers began to make them. It soon reached a point where 18,000 Blaas were made in the city daily.
Currently, the people of Waterford eat between ten and twelve thousand Blaas a day. In 2013, the Waterford Blaa Bakers Association succeeded in getting PGI designation for the Waterford Blaa.
Company Details
- Employees
- 4
- Founded
- -
- Address
- 34 Mount Sion Avenue, Waterford,ireland
- Industry
- Food And Beverage Manufacturing
- NAICS
-
Food ManufacturingGrain and Oilseed MillingOther Food ManufacturingFlour Milling and Malt ManufacturingStarch and Vegetable Fats and Oils ManufacturingBreakfast Cereal ManufacturingSnack Food ManufacturingCoffee and Tea ManufacturingFlavoring Syrup and Concentrate ManufacturingSeasoning and Dressing ManufacturingAll Other Food ManufacturingFlour MillingRice MillingMalt ManufacturingWet Corn MillingSoybean and Other Oilseed ProcessingFats and Oils Refining and BlendingRoasted Nuts and Peanut Butter ManufacturingOther Snack Food ManufacturingMayonnaise, Dressing, and Other Prepared Sauce ManufacturingSpice and Extract ManufacturingPerishable Prepared Food ManufacturingAll Other Miscellaneous Food Manufacturing
- Website
- walshsbakehouse.ie
- Keywords
- Bakery and Bread.
- HQ
- Waterford
Walsh's Bakehouse Questions
Walsh'S Bakehouse's website is walshsbakehouse.ie
Walsh'S Bakehouse's LinkedIn profile is https://ie.linkedin.com/company/walshsbakehouse
Walsh'S Bakehouse has
4 employees.
View email and phone details for 4
employees at Walsh'S Bakehouse.
Walsh'S Bakehouse's industry is
Food and Beverage Manufacturing
Walsh'S Bakehouse's top competitors are
The Happy Family Bakery,
Sofrimar,
Fitzgeralds Family Bakery Limited,
Mardi Confectionery,
Ryans Bakery Wexford Ltd,
O'keeffe's Bakery,
Mcniffes Bakery,
Twomey's Bakery,
Kells,
Chia Bia.
Walsh'S Bakehouse's categories are Food and Beverage Manufacturing
Walsh'S Bakehouse's founding year is 1921
