The Irish Restaurant Awards returns for 2023
We are delighted to announce that the Irish Restaurant Awards is back and will launch on Thursday January 2023. This is the 14th year of the Awards and we look forward to celebrating the best of the Hospitality Sector with you all.
As with previous years the Irish Restaurant Awards process begins with an online public vote (hosted via the Irish Times here from 12 noon Thursday January 12th 2023 to 12 noon Thursday January 26th 2023), then a judging process of National Experts, followed by Regional Events in the four provinces at which County Winners will be announced, then a Dublin Shortlist and then the All Ireland Final at which the Regional and National Winners will be announced.
In 2022 the Irish Restaurant Awards consisted of a roadshow of 4 regional events – Kildare, Cavan, Cork and Leitrim – with over 3,500 guests in total. The final event was in The Convention Centre Dublin and saw 1000+ guests sit down for a five course gala dinner cooked the venue’s renowned chef team, with the help of industry apprentices.The awards have grown year upon year and help showcase the true talent that Ireland’s hospitality industry has to offer.
Judging Process – County Winner Selection
This year there are two stages to the Irish Restaurant Awards Judging.
Stage 1: Choosing county/provincial winners
Once the online nominations (worth 20%) are closed, they are independently audited by BDO and then passed on to our regional judging panels. The nominees are reviewed by the judges (worth 80%).
The county and provincial winners are then announced at the Regional Awards in March. Dublin nominees are shortlisted at this stage and will be announced separately online.
Stage 2: National Academy Judging
The final stage sees selected judges from the regional panels join together to form the National Academy. They will review each finalist, and they will also review the National Category nominees and decide the overall winners*.
The overall winners in all categories will then be announced at the highly anticipated Irish Restaurant Awards Final in May 2023.
*Prior to this stage, the following categories will receive a mystery guest inspection**, the result of which will be considered during the National Academy Judging: Best Restaurant, Best Casual Dining, Best Chef, Best Gastro Pub & Best Hotel Restaurant
**Each county winning establishment in the above categories will be contacted for consent purposes prior to the mystery inspection taking place. At this stage, the venue will have the option to opt out should they chose.
Regional Awards Events & All Ireland Awards Gala
County winners will be announced at our regional events throughout the month of March. Full Event details will be sent to all nominees via post/ email following the close of nominations and will also be listed on our website with ticketing information.
Regional and All Ireland Winners are then revealed at the All Ireland Awards Gala Dinner on Monday, 15th May 2023 in the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road. Full Ticket and Event information will be released in September following Regional Events.
Please visit our FAQ Page for more information on the Irish Restaurant Awards
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