22 March 2018, Thursday
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
The second of four regional finals in this year’s Irish Restaurant Awards took place in the Radisson Blu, Little Island, Cork, last night where 91 awards were presented to the country’s leading chefs, restaurants and pubs.
Sally O’Brien of Farmgate Restaurant and Country Store – winner of Best Restaurant Manager
Over 500 people attended the Munster Regional Final on Wednesday evening where the top establishments in each county were named.
The awards covered a wide range of venues and the winners from each of Munster’s six counties were selected from the following categories: Best Casual Dining, Best Emerging Irish Cuisine, Best Kids Size Me, Best ‘Free From’, Best World Cuisine, Best Restaurant Manager, Best Wine Experience, Pub of the Year, Best Café, Best Customer Service, Best Gastro Pub, Best Hotel & Guesthouse Restaurant, Best Newcomer, Best Chef and Best Restaurant. There was also a special Regional award for Munster’s Local Food Hero.
Speaking at the awards, Adrian Cummins, Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) said: “Now in their tenth year, the Irish Restaurant Awards continue to showcase the exquisite and admirable calibre of food available in our restaurants and pubs nationwide. Online nominations have increased from 9,000 in 2013 to over 80,000 this year and with the increase in interest comes an increase in standards, making the judging process more difficult than ever.
“Our small island boasts everything from fine dining to high quality gastropubs, from the exotic taste explosions of world cuisine to the comfort of traditional dishes. We have an appreciation for what we eat, for the journey of our food from farm to fork, and for the dedication of those working in the food industry to serve up Ireland’s finest food.”
Cork Winners Are As Follows:
- Best Casual Dining sponsored by San Pellegrino – PILGRIM’S
- Best Emerging Irish Cuisine sponsored by Odaios Foods – SAGE Restaurant
- Best Kids Size Me sponsored by Dubliner Cheese – Market Lane
- Best ‘Free From’ sponsored by Peroni Nastro Azzurro Gluten Free – The Rocket Man
- Best World Cuisine sponsored by Aryzta – Palmento
- Best Restaurant Manager sponsored by AIB Merchant Services- Sally O’Brien of Farmgate Restaurant and Country Store
- Best Wine Experience sponsored by Classic Drinks – The Black Pig
- Pub of the Year sponsored by Bushmills – Mutton Lane Inn
- Best Café sponsored by Illy – Organico
- Best Customer Service – Iyer’s
- Best Gastro Pub sponsored by Coca Cola & Schweppes – Poachers
- Best Hotel & Guesthouse Restaurant sponsored by BWG Foodservice – Bayview Hotel
- Best Newcomer sponsored by Elavon – Bao Boi Cork
- Best Chef sponsored by Nisbets – Ahmet Dede of Mews Restaurant
- Best Restaurant sponsored by Tindal Wines – Mews Restaurant
