Builín Blasta Café and Bakery, located in the picturesque Ceardlann Craft Village in Spidéal, Co Galway, is a vibrant establishment that combines a café, bakery, wine bar, and retail space.

Community is at the heart of the café and while it’s a popular stop for tourists travelling along the Wild Atlantic Way, it is also a local haunt, with regulars coming in for great coffee, food and chats.

In fact, that is exactly how Heather Connolly and Eimear Killian met. Heather was originally running the business and Eimear used visit, later leading to their business partnership in Builín Blasta.

“Eimear is a keen cyclist and she used to cycle out to Spidéal and stop for her treats here,” says Heather. “We have outdoor seating so we stayed open for most of the pandemic, and during that time Eimear would come by and we would chat; we got to know each other very well.”

Eimear, who has a background in hospitality, has been key to growing the café business. They have now introduced a growing retail and wine off-licence, and open the popular wine bar two nights a week.

An English and Irish bilingual café, bakery and wine bar, over the years Builín Blasta have built their reputation thanks to their quality homemade produce, warm hospitality and incredible atmosphere.

Heather was originally running the business and Eimear used visit, later leading to their business partnership in Builín Blasta

“Builín Blasta Café was my favourite stop for coffee and a cinnamon roll when I was out cycling,” says Eimear. “I think it was June 2020 when Heather and I first started talking about the business and she showed me the plans for the extension, at first just asking my opinion.

"I thought it was really interesting and exciting – it was from there that things progressed, and I joined the business in March 2021. I knew there was huge potential for the café and the products, so I jumped in with my two feet.”

Builín Blasta translates to ‘tasty loaf’ and that is exactly what you can find in the bakery, along with a delicious café menu and now a retail space of Irish artisanal products, including their own sauces and dressings.

Canadian-born chef/owner Heather Connolly bought the business in 2015. She had always dreamed of owning her own café, so she felt it was the perfect spot to make that a reality.

Jenya Hardziyuk from Belarus, who has been working with Heather since 2011 now runs the busy Builín Blasta kitchen. Heather says she has a great team of chefs and service staff behind her, helping her make Builín Blasta a community favourite.

Her food motto has always remained the same – “keep it fresh, keep it wholesome and keep it tasty.” And that is the style of food you can expect.

On to something tasty

Builín Blasta Café and Bakery, An Spidéal, Co Galway.

In 2017, Heather created a product in the kitchen that would change the business and its future forever.

“At the time, I had a smoked aubergine on the menu. We had a little stovetop smoker, which I used for it,” says Heather.

“I wondered what smoked onions would taste like and I decided to give it a go. Then I said to myself, this needs something creamy to go with it, something with flavour profiles that would complement it. I made the smoked onion mayonnaise for the first time. I knew as soon as I tasted it, I was on to something.”

“I remember it so well. Jenya came in to work and I was so excited, I said, ‘You have to try this’. It was so delicious, and we went from there. We put it on the menu, just with chips initially. Then, we started putting it into jars, and the product grew legs. We got a lot of organic PR at the beginning.

“I remember the GastroGays – Russel Alford and Patrick Hanlon – heard of it and shouted about it, and from there, we started getting more people interested.

“Retailers started calling us asking to order it and I guess I am condensing about a year-and-a-half’s worth of work into a few sentences, but that’s how it happened.”

The trade at the café is very consistent. We’re lucky that we have our loyal customers alongside tourists

The now renowned and award-winning smoked onion mayo is a product that has captivated taste buds across Ireland and beyond, and has earned an impressive collection of four Blas na hÉireann awards, including two gold and two silver.

The mayo is celebrated for its unique blend of sweetness, creaminess, smokiness and tanginess, and is the ultimate complement to burgers, chips, sandwiches, and more – a definite must-try. However, be warned it is highly addictive.

Heather further added to the mayo range, with a spiced smoked onion mayo and a light smoked onion mayo. Many other products have been developed too, such as the smoked onion salsa, smoked onion salad cream and a range of salad dressings, including Caesar dressing, raspberry balsamic, honey and mustard, and basil and lime dressing.

The Builín Blasta brand is fast becoming a household name in Ireland. So, what next?

“As far as the café is concerned, we’ve grown into the catering space. We’re doing a lot of corporate catering and event catering,” says Heather.

“The trade at the café is very consistent. We’re lucky that we have our loyal customers alongside tourists.”

“As far as the retail goes, what we’re most excited about is that we’re launching in 52 Tesco stores this month. They’re introducing a premium range of Irish artisanal products and we’re part of that. We think that’s a good fit for our brand and getting into their stores has a good reach.

"We also do food service and we want to really grow this side – get the mayo on sandwiches and menus across the country. And then, we’ll be looking to export as part of our growth to the UK, Europe, and beyond.”

For more information, stockists and to order Builín Blasta range of products, visit builinblasta.com