Sligo Winners at the Irish Restaurant Awards 2018
The third of four regional finals in this year’s Irish Restaurant Awards took place in the Kilronan Castle, Roscommon on the 27th March where 76 awards were presented to the country’s leading chefs, restaurants and pubs.
Over 400 people attended the Connaught Regional Final where the top establishments in each county were named.
The awards covered a wide range of venues and the winners from each of Connaught’s five 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 Connaught’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.”
The Winners of the Sligo Awards are:
Best Casual Dining sponsored by San Pellegrino – Gilroy’s Bar & Ait Eile Restaurant, Enniscrone
Best Emerging Irish Cuisine sponsored by Odaios Foods – Hargadon Bros, Sligo
Best Kids Size Me sponsored by Dubliner Cheese – Shells Seaside Bakery & Café, Strandhill
Best ‘Free From’ sponsored by Peroni Nastro Azzurro Gluten Free – Sweet Beat Café, Sligo
Best World Cuisine sponsored by Aryzta – Miso Sligo
Best Restaurant Manager sponsored by AIB Merchant Services – Declan Harrison of Harrison’s Restaurant & Bar, Cliffoney
Best Wine Experience sponsored by ClassicDrinks – Coach Lane at Donaghy’s
Pub of the Year sponsored by Bushmills – The Pilot Bar, Enniscrone
Best Café sponsored by Illy – Pudding Row, Easkey
Best Customer Service – Langs Bar and Restaurant, Grange
Best Gastro Pub sponsored by Coca Cola & Schweppes – Austies Bar and Restaurant, Rosses Point
Best Hotel & Guesthouse Restaurant sponsored by BWG Foodservice – Hazelwood Restaurant at Sligo Park Hotel
Best Newcomer sponsored by Elavon – Hooked, Sligo
Best Chef sponsored by Nisbets – Ethna Reynolds of The Nook Café, Collooney
Best Restaurant sponsored by Tindal Wine Merchants – Eala Bhán, Sligo
Well done to all the winners!
