Update below - Ireland's Foodie Town - Winner Announced!
Could your hometown be Ireland's Top Foodie Town for 2014? The Restaurants Association of Ireland, in conjunction with Admailer.ie from An Post, are on the search for Ireland’s premier foodie destination. Is your town Ireland's Top Foodie Town?
Could your hometown be Ireland's Top Foodie Town for 2014? The Restaurants Association of Ireland, in conjunction with Admailer.ie from An Post, are on the search for Ireland’s premier foodie destination. Is your town Ireland's Top Foodie Town?
Towns and communities from all over Ireland are invited to battle it out to be named Ireland’s Top Town for a Foodie Experience.
The judges are looking for towns that actively promote themselves through food festivals, gourmet trails, farmers’ markets and great dining experiences.
Does your town have an established local producer/supplier network which is utilised and promoted by local businesses? Do you know what plans there are for future growth and investment into the food and hospitality industry at a local level?
Communities across the country are urged to get together with local businesses, foodie groups, Chambers of Commerce and other working groups to submit their applications and promote their area to both local people and visitors.
The Prize!
- The winning town will be crowned ‘Ireland's Foodie Town 2014’ and will receive a prize package worth €5,000 combining an Admailer.ie postcard marketing package and mentorship from senior An Post marketing executives to help raise the profile of the town.
- Nine runners up will each receive an Admailer.ie prize package to value of €500 each.
The Top 10 Foodie Towns of Ireland have been announced
and Voting is NOW Open!
and Voting is NOW Open!
Following a huge response all over Ireland to the initial launch of the competition the judges have now whittled the entries down to Ten Finalist. The ten chosen finalist towns will now receive a visit by the judges which are comprised of Independent Assessors, a representative from the Restaurants Association of Ireland & a representative from An Post. A national public voting campaign is now being held with each of the ten finalists canvassing the country to vote for them.
The Ten Foodie Town Finalists are:
The Ten Foodie Town Finalists are:
- Cork City
- Dingle
- Galway City
- Howth
- Kilkenny
- Kinsale
- Lisdoonvarna
- Loop Head
- Sligo Town
- Westport & Clew Bay
The Judging Process
Stage One was to...
- Complete & submit an Application Form online or download and email your Application form
- There are seven areas of criteria to be judged on, each carrying a weighing percentage to total 100%.
- The application must be submitted by a minimum 3 businesses/working groups together.
- Deadline for Applications is Wednesday, April 9th 2014.
- All applications will be reviewed and a shortlist of 10 finalist destinations will be announced.
Stage Two now is...
- The ten finalists will be subject to a pre-arranged visit to the town by the Judges comprising of Independent Assessors, a representative from the Restaurants Association of Ireland & a representative from An Post.
- A national public voting campaign will also be held with each of the ten finalists canvassing the country to vote for them.
- The final decision will be made by combining the judges’ votes with the public vote that carry equal weight – both components account for 50% of the overall mark a town receives.
Click HERE to Vote for you favourite Foodie Town Today!
The winner of ‘Ireland's Foodie Town 2014’ will be announced at the National Finals of the Irish Restaurant Awards in Dublin on June 9th. Get voting now and good luck to all involved!
Zack
UPDATE - Dingle wins title of Foodie Town of Ireland 2014
A Winner has been picked and Dingle has been crowned Top Foodie Town of Ireland 2014 from the shortlist of finalists. The winner was announced at the Irish Restaurant Awards on the 9th of June. The ‘Foodie Town of Ireland’ award recognised Dingle for actively promoting itself through joint activities such as food festivals, gourmet trails and farmers’ markets as well as great dining experiences.
"Throughout our judging process, we have seen Dingle go above and beyond to give their tourists the best foodie experience," the judges commented. "They have a well-established local producer/supplier network which is utilised and promoted by local businesses, they also actively plan for future growth and investment in the food and hospitality industry at a local level. Education, training, development and employment are key components of the ultimate foodie destination, of which we have seen in abundance in Dingle."
Once cited as one of the most beautiful places on earth by National Geographic, the blue waters surrounding the lush green hills of the Dingle Peninsula give rise to not only the beautiful scenery that it is now famous for but also to an intense devotion by its residents to the fresh locally landed, reared and produced foods. The small town offer visitors 52 places to eat enabling you to feast on not only the impeccably fresh fish landed daily but also on an array of locally produced food and drink which draws its inspiration from our naturally bountiful surroundings.
Once cited as one of the most beautiful places on earth by National Geographic, the blue waters surrounding the lush green hills of the Dingle Peninsula give rise to not only the beautiful scenery that it is now famous for but also to an intense devotion by its residents to the fresh locally landed, reared and produced foods. The small town offer visitors 52 places to eat enabling you to feast on not only the impeccably fresh fish landed daily but also on an array of locally produced food and drink which draws its inspiration from our naturally bountiful surroundings.
The people of the Dingle Peninsula have adopted a type of self sufficiency and we are now producing as large a range of products locally as you would find anywhere in the world, from locally landed fresh and smoked fish, lamb and beef to cheeses & ice creams made using the milk of the rare Kerry Cow. Local free-range eggs, locally produced black pudding, sausages and rashers, preserves, breads, chocolates, pies, salamis, chorizo and pates are all available from local producers.
Visitors to the area are welcome to sample the local delicacies in every shop, eatery and Bar in Dingle, tour the local brewery and distillery, visit the weekly farmers market and follow the Dingle Peninsula Food Trail. The food trail brings visitors on a veritable œtreasure huntof Dingles Foodie Offerings. Other visitor activities include foraging walks, boat charters allowing you to Catch and Cook your own fish, cheese making classes and cookery demonstrations.
Dingle, ‘Foodie Town of Ireland 2014’, will now receive a prize package worth €5,000 combining an Admailer.ie postcard marketing package and mentorship from senior An Post marketing executives to help raise the profile of their town. Each of the nine runners up will each receive an Admailer.ie prize package to value of €500 each.
Zack
Dingle, ‘Foodie Town of Ireland 2014’, will now receive a prize package worth €5,000 combining an Admailer.ie postcard marketing package and mentorship from senior An Post marketing executives to help raise the profile of their town. Each of the nine runners up will each receive an Admailer.ie prize package to value of €500 each.
Zack