Ireland’s Food & Hospitality winners announced at National Awards Ceremony
The event was held at the Inter Continental Hotel in Dublin (Pictured: Mark Nolan of Dromoland Castle and Georgina Campbell (Photo by: Paul Sherwood)
Celebrating Ireland’s gold standard champions of the food and hospitality industries, the winners of the Georgina Campbell Food & Hospitality Awards 2024 were announced.
Ireland’s longest running food and hospitality awards, the selections are the result of independent all-year assessments by a team of anonymous experts.
This year, the great benefits of regional collaborations in creating hubs of excellence around the country are especially recognised, along with the increased importance placed by the food and hospitality sector on sustainability and supporting Irish producers – who are celebrated in a special category of the awards as providing the foundation of all of our good food.
Food and hospitality writer, Georgina Campbell, said: “Cost-cutting is understandable and often necessary in the current business environment, 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 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, Campbell 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.
Campbell 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.”
Community spirit
According to Campbell, the sense of resilience, determination, and collaborative spirit amongst tourism bodies, food producers and hospitality operators, is something to strive for, alongside the wider community and businesses working together for the betterment of all.
“We have recently seen great examples of groups working together to better their community and region as much as their individual business, which brings new meaning to the Irish adage of ‘a hundred thousand welcomes,’” said Campbell.
“It’s a challenging time in this industry, with restaurant closures and a Budget that was tough on the hospitality sector, but it’s an incredibly exciting one when you consider, not only the talent of our winners, but also their willingness to give back.”
Sustainability
Campbell added: “Something special that we noticed this year was how the rise of the kitchen garden is accelerating. We’re seeing more chefs getting actively involved in this eco-friendly initiative and not just paying lip-service to the concept.
“Growing their own seasonal produce is something for establishments to be proud of, as well as having environmental benefits. It’s great to be working with deliciously fresh, nutrient-dense produce grown right outside your door, and it’s a point of special interest for guests.”
Room for improvement
Campbell did offer words of caution however, noting: “Although service has improved a lot this year and there is generally a warmer feel to hospitality, shortcuts are being taken in some establishments. We would like to see cost challenges addressed in more imaginative ways than cutting quality – by offering more choice of sizes for dishes on menus, for example, and reducing waste overall.
“That the shorter weeks and shorter opening hours that resulted from the pandemic are still continuing in many places – often together with higher prices – is not helping matters and must be discouraging for people thinking about having a break or a meal out.”
