Thyme owner wins major accolade at restaurant awards

John Coffey, the head chef of Athlone restaurant Thyme, has been awarded 'Best Chef' in Leinster at the Irish Restaurant Awards held in the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin, on Monday night.

The restaurant owner was also one of five chefs nominated for the 'All-Ireland Best Chef' accolade which was awarded to Ahmet Dede from Dede at The Customs House Baltimore County Cork.

The Michelin listed restaurant, located at Custume Place, was established almost two decades ago by owner and head chef, John Coffey, and has grown its reputation steadily since then for the consistency and quality of its food offering which makes extensive use of local produce sourced from producers right across the Midlands.

In February, it was confirmed that Thyme had retained its prestigious Bib Gourmand listing in the 2026 Michelin Guide for the eighth consecutive year, one of only three restaurants in the Midlands to hold this much sought after listing.

The other two Bib Gourmand establishments in the region are both located in county Laois, Ballyfin Demesne and Bramley in Abbeyleix.

Meanwhile, there was further recognition for Midlands hospitality at the Irish Restaurant Awards when Sanjay's Kitchen, located in Market Square, Birr, was recognised as the Leinster winner in the 'Best World Cuisine' category.

The restaurant, which offers a modern twist on Indian food, thanked its "amazing customers" for their "support, trust and love" which made "this achievement possible".

"Here’s to more flavours, more memories, and many more celebrations together. Thank you, Ireland!"

Now in its 17th year, the Irish Restaurant Awards received over 150,000 public nominations in 2026, showing the continued support for and engagement with Ireland's hospitality sector. Nominations were submitted by the public via The Irish Times website.