Top Restaurants in Ulster Announced
27 March 2012
Top Restaurants in Ulster Announced at Santa Rita Irish Restaurants Awards
The Ulster Regional Final for the Restaurant Awards 2012 sponsored by Santa Rita / Sunday Independent Life Magazine took place in The Merchant Hotel, Belfast Tuesday 27th March 2012.
Speaking at the awards last night, Adrian Cummins of the Restaurants Association of Ireland said ‘Since their inception, the Irish Restaurant Awards have cast a spotlight on Ireland's hottest restaurants and chefs. They have become a byword for quality, class and achievement... The awards everyone wants to win. As a testament to their success, the entries have doubled since last year, with 5,000 nominations made for Ireland's favourite Restaurants, Chefs, Gastro Pubs, Hotel Restaurants and Local Food Heroes throughout the Country.
We celebrate the award winning cuisines and the great restaurateurs and chefs who have brought international recognition and accolades to the Irish restaurant scene. We are the economic engine rooms in every town in Ireland, creating and maintaining much needed local employment. Our industry has annual sales in excess of €2 billion and we employ 64,000 people. In fact, we are the largest employer within the Irish Tourism Sector. And tonight, everyone is a winner’.
It was great to see over 240 restaurateurs attend the awards in the Ulster region this year., we look forward to seeing all of the Ulster County Winners in Dublin on the 14th May 2012 where Regional and All Ireland winners will be announced’.
Nominations for the awards were made by readers of the Sunday Independent Life Magazine and members of the Restaurants Association of Ireland. All nominees are then assessed by Regional Judging panels, made up of Industry experts across the region. Votes from the Consumer, Members of the Restaurants Association of Ireland and the Regional Judges are independently assessed by KPMG who give us our County Winner in each category.
All County winners will now compete for the Regional and All Ireland Title which will be announced at the Irish Restaurant Awards in the Burlington Hotel Dublin on Wednesday 14th May 2012. www.irishrestaurantawards.com
There are 3 components to phase two of the process. Each element is independently assessed by KPMG.
1. Mystery Guest Visit (35%) This component of the awards is conducted by Prism Consulting headed by Hugo Arnold, independent food writer and consultant. (http://www.hugoarnold.com). All County Winners receive a mystery guest visit throughout the month of April.
2. National Awards Academy (55%) Our National Awards Academy is made up representatives from each of the regional judging panels and will meet in May to Judge the County Winners.
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.
- CUSTOMER SERVICE
ANTRIM BERTS JAZZ BAR@ THE MERCHANT HOTEL
ARMAGH POT BELLY RESTAURANT
CAVAN MAC NEAN HOUSE & RESTAURANT
DERRY CITY HOTEL
DONEGAL HARVEYS POINT HOTEL
DOWN CULLODON HOTEL
FERMANAGH DOLLAKIS
MONAGHAN SNAFFLES BRASSERIE@ CASTLE LESLIE
TYRONE OYSTERS
- GASTRO PUB SPONSORED BY FAUSTINO
ANTRIM THE MORNING STAR
ARMAGH DIGBYS
CAVAN THE BLACKHORSE INN
DERRY BADGERS BAR
DONEGAL HARRYS BAR
DOWN CURRANS BAR
FERMANAGH CUSTOMS HOUSE
MONAGHAN ANDY'S BAR
TYRONE THE BREWERS HOUSE
- CASUAL DINING SPONSORED BY JOSEPH DROUHIN
ANTRIM IL PIRATA
ARMAGH ZIO RESTAURANT
CAVAN POL O D'S
DERRY FLAMING JACKS
DONEGAL THE HARBOUR
DOWN STRUDLE BISTRO
FERMANAGH DOLLAKIS
MONAGHAN CONORS BAR@ CASTLE LESLIE
TYRONE DELI ON THE GREEN
- WINE EXPERIENCE ULSTER SPONSORED BY THOMAS BARTON
HARVEYS POINT CO. DONEGAL
- KIDS SIZE ME ULSTER SPONSORED BY HEINZ
THE OLD CASTLE BAR & REDHUGH RESTAURANT
- HOTEL RESTAURANT
ANTRIM RIVER ROOM RESTAURANT @ GALGORM RESORT & SPA
ARMAGH NEWFORGE COUNTRY HOUSE
CAVAN SETANTA RESTAURANT@ THE SLIEVE RUSSELL
DERRY ARDMORE RESTAURANT@ BEECH HILL COUNTRY HOUSE
DONEGAL THE WEEPING ELM RESTAURANT @RATHMULLAN HOUSE
DOWN PORTAFERRY HOTEL
FERMANAGH THE CATALINA RESTAURANT@ LOUGH ERNE RESORT
MONAGHAN THE RESTAURANT@ NUREMORE HOTEL
TYRONE THE KITCHEN RESTAURANT@ TULLYLAGAN COUNTRY HOUSE
- CHEF SPONSORED BY TIPPERARY WATER
ANTRIM DAMIAN TUMILTY, CAFE VAUDEVILLE
ARMAGH DEAN COPPARD , ULURU
CAVAN GEAROID LYNCH, THE OLDE POST INN
DERRY IAN OAR, BROWNS RESTAURANT & CHAMPAGNE LOUNGE
DONEGAL KELAN MC MICHAEL,THE WEEPING ELM@ RATHMULLAN HOUSE
DOWN JOERY CASTEL, THE BOAT HOUSE
FERMANAGH NOEL MCMEEL , LOUGH ERNE RESORT
MONAGHAN ANDREW BRADLEY, SNAFFLES RESTAURANT@CASTLE LESLIE
TYRONE HAYDEN GAMBLE, VANILLA
RESTAURANT SPONSORED BY SANTA RITA
ANTRIM JAMES ST SOUTH
ARMAGH ULURU
CAVAN MC NEAN HOUSE & RESTAURANT
DERRY BROWNS RESTAURANT & CHAMPAGNE LOUNGE
DONEGAL THE MILL RESTAURANT
DOWN THE BOATHOUSE
FERMANAGH WATERMILL RESTAURANT
MONAGHAN SNAFFLES RESTAURANT@ CASTLE LESLIE
TYRONE VANILLA
