Athlone and Moate area dominate at Leinster Regional Restaurant Awards
Food businesses from the Athlone and Moate area dominated the Westmeath awards at the Leinster Region of the Irish Restaurant Awards last night.
Twelve of the 18 categories went to Athlone or Moate based businesses at the ceremony at the The Killashee Hotel, Co. Kildare.
The coveted Best Restaurant Award for Westmeath went to Thyme Restaurant and there were further celebration when the restaurant’s John Coffey was named as Best Chef.
The Local Food Hero Award for Westmeath was presented to The Gillivan Family, Gillivan's Moate Meats
There were notable wins too for Bastion Kitchen, which was chosen as the winner of the Best Sustainable Practices award for Westmeath, Lough Ree Inn, selected as the Best Newcomer, and Poppy Fields Café, which took the prize for Best Casual Dining.
Spice India Athlone won the Best World Cuisine award for Westmeath, while the Pub of the Year went to The Snug Bar and the The Best Gastro Pub award to The Villager Bar & Restaurant
The Left Bank Bistro won the award for Best Wine Experience while The Best Customer Service award went to Il Colosseo
The Innovator of the Year winner for Westmeath was named as the Irish Craft Soda Company, based at Dead Centre Brewing.
WESTMEATH AWARDS
Best Restaurant: Thyme Restaurant
Best Chef: John Coffey, Thyme Restaurant
Best Restaurant Manager: Trevor Byrne, Scanlons
Best Hotel and Guesthouse Restaurant: Bloomfield House Hotel
Employee Excellence Award: Aimee Clarke, James Joyce Restaurant at Greville Arms Hotel
Best Use of Social Media: Weir's Bar & Restaurant
Best Casual Dining: Poppy Fields Cafe
Best World Cuisine: Spice India Athlone
Best Gastro Pub: The Villager Bar & Restaurant
Best Contemporary Irish Cuisine: Days Bazaar Mullingar
Best Newcomer: The Lough Ree Inn
Pub of the Year: The Snug Bar
Best Wine Experience: The Left Bank Bistro
Best Customer Service: Il Colosseo
Best Café: The Stables Tea Rooms
Best Sustainable Practices: Bastion Kitchen
The Innovator of the Year: Irish Craft Soda Company
Local Food Hero: The Gillivan Family, Gillivan's Moate Meats