2025 winners of the Georgina Campbell Irish Food & Hospitality Awards announced

Ireland’s Hotel, Restaurant, Hospitality Hero, and Pub of the Year announced at National Awards Ceremony

Celebrating Ireland’s gold standard champions of the food and hospitality industries, the winners of the Georgina Campbell Irish Food & Hospitality Awards 2025 were announced at a gala lunch at the InterContinental Dublin Hotel on 30 September.

Some of the awards given on the day were Gastro Pub of the Year 2025 to The Strand Cahore, Gorey, Co Wexford and The House of McDonnell, Ballycastle, Co Antrim was named Traditional Pub of the Year 2025. The Irish Craft Drinks Award went to Walled City Brewery, Derry and the Wine Experience Award was given to Daróg Wine Bar, Galway.

Jacob’s Bar, Baltimore, Co Cork was awarded Cafe-Bar of the Year and Mary Ann’s Bar & Restaurant, Castletownshend, Co Cork was named the Long Haul Hero 2025. Chef of the Year went to Conor Halpenny who runs Square Restaurant in Dundalk, and the prestigious 5-Star Hotel of the Year award went to Galway’s Glenlo Abbey. Fern Allen, Ballymaloe House received Host of the Year and the inaugural Rural Destination of the Year is Castle Leslie Estate, Co Monaghan.

Ireland’s longest running food and hospitality awards, the annual Georgina Campbell Irish Food & Hospitality Awards were established by the well known food writer in the 1990s, with the aim of giving recognition where it is deserved across a broad range of destinations and lead customers – both Irish and visitors – to genuinely hospitable experiences where they will enjoy great food that ‘speaks of the real Ireland’. Unlike some commercially-led awards schemes, businesses cannot enter themselves for these awards, which are based solely on independent all-year assessments by a team of experts, who book anonymously and pay their bills like any other guest.

Challenges and resilience

Opening the event with an appeal for government support for the food and hospitality sector in next week’s Budget, Campbell said the immense countrywide contribution made by the sector seems to be persistently undervalued and the struggles that many businesses are going through are very evident. “The VAT cut mooted for next week’s Budget, or some such relief, especially for restaurants, is urgently needed. It is shocking to hear endless news of closures – most recently Dublin’s much-loved Big Mike’s, a high profile example that is echoed by many less well known but equally cherished businesses elsewhere. Having a more positive business environment would have meant the world to them, their families and their communities – and once they’re gone, they’re gone.”

Yet there are businesses that continually invest in innovation and excellence against all the odds, Georgina said, “Ireland is rightly known especially for warm hospitality and it is a joy to visit, and to revisit, the places where standards are non-negotiable – and thank goodness there are still so many wonderful people demonstrating extraordinary resilience at a time when Ireland’s hospitality and food sector faces so many challenges.”

Cutting corners

However there was also a note of caution against cutting corners, as Campbell and her team also had what they felt were unnecessary disappointments this year. “The cold hand of the accountant is very apparent in some businesses,” she said. “Presumably in an understandable response to rising costs, the little extras in bedrooms and bathrooms, the breakfasts showcasing local flavours, the well trained staff sharing wine knowledge, and even the time spent making guests welcome can seem to be under threat. The value of offering a really good breakfast, especially, has always been highlighted at the Georgina Campbell awards, as it’s good for business as well as the happy guests. But – in contrast to the outstanding businesses represented at these awards – it’s as if mean-minded efficiency is the rule in some places, where staff do the job but without meaningful engagement with guests.”

GEORGINA CAMPBELL IRISH FOOD & HOSPITALITY AWARD WINNERS 2025

1. GEORGINA CAMPBELL ‘HOSPITALITY HERO’ AWARD 2025

• Niall Rochford, Ashford Castle, Co Mayo

 

1. GEORGINA CAMPBELL ‘MOVERS & SHAKERS’ AWARD 2025

• Eunice Power, …AndChips, Dungarvan, Co Waterford

 

1. GEORGINA CAMPBELL BEST SUPPORTER OF IRISH FOOD & DRINK PRODUCERS 2025, sponsored by Bord Bia

•  Grow HQ Café and Larder, Waterford

 

1. GEORGINA CAMPBELL RURAL & COMMUNITY AWARDS 2025

            Sponsored by The Shed Distillery, Drumshanbo, Co Leitrim    

• RURAL DESTINATION OF THE YEAR: Castle Leslie Estate, Glaslough, Co Monaghan
• TASTE OF THE WATERWAYS 2025: The Left Bank Bistro, Athlone, Co Westmeath

 

1. GEORGINA CAMPBELL FINE DINING AWARDS 2025

• FINE DINING RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 2025: Allta, Dublin
• FINE DINING HOTEL RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR: Landline, Park Hotel Kenmare, Co Kerry 
• NEIGHBOURHOOD FINE DINING RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 2025: Wine and Brine, Moira, Co Down
• BIJOU FINE DINING RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 2025: Stove Bistro, Belfast
• CHEF OF THE YEAR 2025: Conor Halpenny, Square Restaurant, Dundalk, Co Louth

 

1.  GEORGINA CAMPBELL HOTEL OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2025

• 5-Star Hotel of the Year: Glenlo Abbey Hotel & Estate, Co Galway
• 4-Star Hotel of the Year 2025: Harvey’s Point, Lough Eske, Co Donegal
• 3-Star Hotel of the Year 2025: Killeen House Hotel, Killarney, Co Kerry
• Business Hotel of the Year 2025: Johnstown Estate, Enfield, Co Meath

 

1. GEORGINA CAMPBELL SMALL STAY AWARDS 2025

• COUNTRY HOUSE: Lough Inagh Lodge, Connemara, Co Galway
• GUESTHOUSE: Greenmount House, Dingle, Co Kerry
• B&B: The Mill, Dunfanaghy, Co Donegal
• HIDEAWAY: Ghan House, Carlingford, Co Louth

 

1.  GEORGINA CAMPBELL CASUAL DINING AWARDS 2025      

• HISTORIC DESTINATION: Petronella, Kilkenny, Co Kilkenny
• CAFÉ-BAR: Jacob’s Bar, Baltimore, Co Cork
• SMART-CASUAL DINING: OAR, Doolin, Co.Clare
• NEIGHBOURHOOD RESTAURANT: Square Bistro, Lisburn, Co Antrim
• BAKERY-CAFÉ 2025: Belle’s Kitchen, Rathmullan, Co Donegal

 

9. GEORGINA CAMPBELL SPECIALITY HOSPITALITY & SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS 2025    

• VISITOR ATTRACTION 2025: Ballycroy Visitor Centre and Ginger & Wild Café, Co Mayo
• INNOVATION AWARD 2025: Kish Fish, Howth, Co Dublin
• SUSTAINABILITY AWARD 2025: Killruddery Estate & The Grain Store, Co Wicklow
• SEAFOOD RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 2025: Caviston’s Seafood Restaurant, Glasthule, Co Dublin
• SEAFOOD CHEFS OF THE YEAR 2025: Dan Guerin CUSH and Frédéric Desormeaux, Sea Church & Salty Dog, Co Cork
• GLOBAL CUISINES AWARD 2025: Izz Café, Cork

           

1.         GEORGINA CAMPBELL ‘MEMORABLE MOMENTS’ AWARDS 2025  

• ‘HAPPY PLACE’ AWARD 2025: Café Rua, Castlebar, Co Mayo
• MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE AWARD 2025: Gregan’s Castle Hotel, Ballyvaughan, Co Clare
• NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR 2025: Dunluce Lodge, Portrush, Co Antrim
• GASTRO-PUB OF THE YEAR 2025: The Strand Cahore, Gorey, Co Wexford
• TRADITIONAL PUB OF THE YEAR 2025: The House of McDonnell, Ballycastle, Co Antrim
• IRISH CRAFT DRINKS AWARD 2025: Walled City Brewery, Derry Co Londonderry
• WINE EXPERIENCE AWARD 2025: Daróg Wine Bar, Galway

 

1. GEORGINA CAMPBELL SPECIAL IRISH HOSPITALITY AWARDS 2025

• FAMILY FRIENDLY HOTEL OF THE YEAR 2025: Lahinch Coast Hotel & Suites, Co Clare
• PET FRIENDLY DESTINATION OF THE YEAR 2025: Gleesons Roscommon, Co Roscommon
• ATMOSPHERIC DESTINATION OF THE YEAR 2025: The Red Bank Restaurant, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim
• HOST OF THE YEAR 2025: Fern Allen, Ballymaloe House, Shanagarry, Co Cork
• LONG HAUL HERO 2025: Fergus & Trish O’Mahony, Mary Ann’s Bar & Restaurant, Castletownshend, Co Cork

 

1. GEORGINA CAMPBELL IRISH BREAKFAST AWARDS 2025

• HOTEL: Granville Hotel, Waterford
• COUNTRY HOUSE: Rathmullan House, Co Donegal
• CAFÉ: Bowes Foodhall & Café, Durrow, Co Laois
• NEIGHBOURHOOD FAVOURITE: Cyprus Avenue, Belfast
• BRUNCH DESTINATION: Greenwich, Cork
• IRISH BREAD AWARD: The Mustard Seed, Ballingarry, Co Limerick

 

13.    GEORGINA CAMPBELL‘NATURAL FOOD’ AWARDS 2025  

GEORGINA CAMPBELL FOOD TOURISM EXPERIENCE 2025

•  St Tola Farmhouse Cheese & Goat Farm, Ennistymon, Co Clare

PRODUCER AWARDS 2025

• MEATS: Andarl Farm Free Range Pork, Castlebar, Co Mayo
• PRESERVES & HONEY: Killiane Castle Honey, Killiane, Co Wexford
• DAIRY: Gloun Cross Dairy, Dunmanway, Co Cork
• FRESH PRODUCE: Castleruddery Organic Farm, Donard, Co Wicklow