CHAPTER ONE in Dublin has scooped the best restaurant award for the third time in five years at the Irish Restaurant Awards.
Television chef Neven Maguire, who swept the boards at last years awards, had to make do with the celebrity chef award at last nights ceremony. His restaurant, MacNean’s in Blacklion, Co Cavan, also picked up awards for customer service and a regional award for Ulster.
Danny Millar, head chef at Balloo House in Killinchy, Co Down, won the best chef award. Mr Millar, who worked in Germany and Belfast before settling in Killinchy in 2006, describes his food as “a modern interpretation of classic European cooking” and says he uses only locally sourced ingredients.
The Exchequer Bar in Dublin was voted best gastro pub, while Rasam in Glasthule, Co Dublin, won the award for best ethnic restaurant.
The other main awards, sponsored by Santa Rita/ Lifemagazine, went to: La Cucina, Limerick (casual dining); Ananda, Dundrum (creative use of seafood); Fallon Byrne, Dublin (wine experience); Knockranny House, Westport, Co Mayo (hotel restaurant), and Brown Bear, Naas, Co Kildare (newcomer).
Paul Cadden, president of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, told 700 guests at the awards ceremony in a Dublin hotel that restaurants and chefs were the “economic engine rooms” in every town in Ireland, creating and maintaining much needed employment.
“Our industry has annual sales in excess of €2 billion and we employ 64,000 people.”
The event was picketed by members of the Restaurant Workers Action Group, established by the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland. It opposes the association’s call for a reduction in the national minimum wage and an abolition of joint labour committees, the system that establishes wages and working conditions for catering and other industries.
Siobhán O’Donoghue, director of the centre, said if the restaurateurs’ proposals were successful, wages would be cut by about 20 per cent. “It is nothing less than shameful to attack the wages of those who are struggling the most.”