Bookmark this article for your next staycation – you never know what gem might be around the corner
We all want to try out great food when travelling around our gorgeous island but don’t necessarily have the time to research how to find it!
Thankfully, there are a myriad of influencers, journalists and food experts who will do the hard work for us as long as we stay up to date with their recommendations.
Another way to stay abreast with our top food providers is to pay attention to annual awards in the hospitality sector here at home. Of course, there are many different types of award ceremonies celebrating Ireland’s culinary landscape but one that always stands out is the Georgina Campbell Food & Hospitality Awards.
As the country’s longest-running food and hospitality awards, it sets the standard of excellence as the selections are the result of independent all-year assessments by a team of anonymous experts.
Indeed, just this year Georgina Campbell herself offered a note of caution falling standards in some areas, particularly around the most important meal of the day – breakfast.
“Cost-cutting is understandable and often necessary in the current business environment,” she said, “but it needs to be done with care. Slashing the quality of breakfast in an otherwise enjoyable experience is counter-productive, and leaves guests disappointed on departure. But, as usual, this year’s Irish Breakfast Award winners are setting a gold-star standard for the famous Irish breakfast and showing how a reputation for serving an outstanding breakfast can be good for business.”
The big winners on the night were:
- Chef of the Year – Danni Barry of Ballynahinch Castle Hotel
- Five Star Hotel of the Year – Sheen Falls Lodge is 2024
- Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year – OX in Belfast
- Gastro Pub of the Year – Deerpark Inn, Virginia, Co Cavan
- Hospitality Hero of the Year – Dromoland Castle’s Mark Nolan
- Sustainability Award 2024 – Wren Urban Nest in Dublin
- Irish Bread Award – Castle Grove Country House, Letterkenny
- Pet-Friendly Destination of the Year – Seaview House Hotel & Spa, Co Cork
The prestigious ceremony featured an engaging panel discussion and a lively Q&A with special guest and award-winning Irish chef, Richard Corrigan, who is a great ambassador for Irish food and an inspiration for young people considering a career in hospitality. This year, Georgina particularly acknowledged the achievements of those who have been striving for high standards over many years and continue to do so in the face of all kinds of challenges – and the new ‘Long Haul Hero’ award (Mary Wall, Hanora’s Cottage, Waterford), is a specific recognition of those special people.
The future of Irish food and hospitality
Georgina said: “We need to encourage more young people to see the food and hospitality industry as an exciting option. Even quite young children could experience the enjoyment of doing rewarding work with a hospitality team, and that could create positive associations that would remain with them later, when career choices are to be made. Waterford’s GIY (Grow It Yourself) initiative is a great example of this approach. It is not enough to tell a child about the hospitality sector, we must help them to develop an early interest and that could shape the sector’s future pioneers from the get-go.”
