Kildare Co Council Leas Cathaoirleach Cllr Joe Neville; Head of Enterprise and Economic Development Jacqui McNabb; Barry Flannagan, Kildare Brewing Company; and Sonya Kavanagh Chief Executive, Kildare Co Council

A brewing company from Sallins has been selected as one of the finalists for the National Enterprise Awards which will take place this month.

Kildare Brewing Company and their brand ProKulture Kombucha will represent Local Enterprise Office Kildare at the prestigious awards on 1 June in the Round Room at the Mansion House in Dublin.

Kildare Brewing Company produces small batch local beer and a range of award winning ProKulture Organic Kombucha.

ProKulture is a non-alcoholic restorative drink, packed full of antioxidants and low in sugar and calories.

This is the 23rd year of the Local Enterprise Office initiative, which was won last year by Aqualicence, supported by Local Enterprise Office Wicklow.

This year the finalists cover a range of sectors and industries from augmented reality tours and sensory friendly clothes designers to energy saving software platforms and agtech solutions farmers.

The finalists also include a range of consumer products from chocolate and whiskey to artisan bakery products and a zero-waste food company.

Jacqui McNabb, Head of Enterprise and Economic Development in Kildare, said: “We are extremely proud of the ambition and commitment to diversification deployed by Barry [Flanagan] and his team. A commitment to sustainability was one of the key drivers for this brewing pivot. Supported by the Local Enterprise Office’s Green for Micro Programme, Barry found that brewing kombucha used significantly less water than to brew beer. His market traction and success on the shelves of Aldi make Kildare Brewing Company a strong competitor for the National Enterprise Awards.”

Local Enterprise Office Kildare have had previous success at the awards including Pestle and Mortar, Terra Nutritech and Carve On.

The finalists compete for a prize fund of €50,000 and, along with an overall National Enterprise of the Year winner, there are categories for Best Start-Up, Best Export Business, an Innovation Award, a One-to-Watch Award, and a Sustainability Award.

There is also an Outstanding Achievement award for a business that started with their Local Enterprise Office and has gone on to achieve international growth with the assistance of Enterprise Ireland.