PRESS RELEASE
TOP RESTAURANTS IN CONNAUGHT nominated AT IRISH RESTAURANT AWARDS 2015
OVER THIRTY RESTAURANTS, HOTEL RESTAURANTS & CHEFS HONOURED AT PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS
The Connaught Regional Final of the Irish Restaurant Awards will take place in The Salthill Hotel, Galway on the 20th April to name the top restaurants in the West for 2015.
Over 250 restaurant owners and staff will celebrate their hard work and achievements at the Awards. Nominated across 8 categories, Terrace Restaurant at the Abbey Hotel, Roscommon were nominated by the public for Best Restaurant, Best Chef (Mark Tracey), Best Restaurant Manager (Derek Tully), Best Hotel Restaurant, Best Casual Dining, Best Emerging Cuisine, Best Wine Experience and Best Customer Service.
Speaking on the awards, Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland Adrian Cummins said; “The Irish Restaurant Awards celebrate their seventh year this year and have become the Island’s biggest food awards. The credibility that these awards have is reflected in the amount of nominations they received this year- over 30,000 votes were cast across nine categories, showing that these are the awards that everyone wants to win.
“The Irish restaurant scene is internationally recognised for its high calibre of restaurateurs and chefs. These awards celebrate the people that make the restaurant sector the dynamic and exciting industry it is. They are the people who provide 72,000 jobs to our economy and generate revenue in excess of €2 billion. We’re recognising the talent, hard work and commitment that everyone here gives to the food industry. All nominees are winners.”
All County winners now compete for the Regional and All Ireland Title which will be announced at the Irish Restaurant Awards in the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel, Dublin on Monday 9th June, 2014.
There are 3 components to phase two of the process. Each element is independently assessed by Ernst and Young.
1. Mystery Guest Visit (55%) This component of the awards is conducted by Prism Consulting headed by Hugo Arnold, independent food writer and consultant. All County Winners receive a mystery guest visit throughout the month of April and May.
2. National Awards Academy (35%) Our National Awards Academy is made up of representatives from each of the regional judging panels and will meet in May to Judge the County Winners. The Academy members include food writers, journalists, academics and hospitality magazine editors.
3. Menu Judging (10%) All County winners and the Dublin Shortlist in each category are asked to submit a copy of their food menu and wine list for judging. These menus are then independently reviewed by Bord Bia.
Voting in the Industry categories has been extended until Friday, 11th April. Voting in these categories is exclusive to Restaurants Association of Ireland members only, with members competing for:
Best Club Restaurant
Best Seafood Experience
Best World Cuisine
Best Newcomer
Best Café
Most Innovative Restaurant
Best Restaurant Design
Best Cocktail Experience
Best Restaurant Manager
Best Cookery School
Best Sustainable Restaurant
Best Digital Marketing
The winners of the Industry Categories will be announced at the All-Ireland event on 9th June, 2014.
Tickets for the All-Ireland Event can be bought directly from the awards team on (01) 677 9901 or [email protected].
ENDS
