Brown bread semi-finalist from St Johnston

SAINT Johnston woman Maureen McLaughlin was a semi-finalist in the National Brown Bread Baking Competition at the Ploughing Championship on Tuesday.

The local woman travelled to Ratheniska, County Laois where she baked her special brown bread in the Euronics sponsored event run in conjunction with the Irish Country Women’s Association.

Maureen did not mange to get through to the final, but a great achievement none-the-less.

Martin Malone from Dublin and Rose Egan from Offaly were successful in getting through to the final which takes place today.

The winning brown bread baker will walk away with a cash prize of €5,000 and a NEFF Slide and Hide oven, with the finalists all walking away with a €500 Euronics gift card.