Dingle is crowned Ireland's Top Foodie Town

Photo from www.dingle-peninsula.ie

Dingle has been crowned Top Foodie Town of Ireland from a shortlist of ten finalists.  The winner was announced at the Irish Restaurant Awards on the 9th of June that took place in the DoubleTree by Hilton.  This first year of the annual competition was run by The Restaurants Association of Ireland in conjunction with Admailer from An Post.

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. It was noted that Dingle goes above and beyond to give their tourists the best foodie experience.  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, which is  seen in abundance in Dingle.    

Food and Beer Pairing at Brú Brewery

I’ll admit it. I’m a wine drinker by nature. In my twenties I would never have chosen beer over wine. This is probably down to the fact that I found most of the beer on offer too heavy, too fizzy or just plain disgusting. Then I went to Brussels and was shown the error of my ways! On my return I started to seek out what Ireland had to offer and bang on time too since we are now in the midst of a craft beer revolution. 

So I am slowly getting to know my Irish craft beer brands and discovering how well they go with food. I also recently discovered that one brand, Brú Beers, even comes from my adopted home county of Meath! As part of the Boyne Valley Food Series the guys in Brú Brewery put on a food and beer pairing night to demonstrate how well their range of beers went with food, all of which was local too. 

Boyne Valley Food Series: June Events

The Boyne Valley Food Series aims to highlight Meath and Louth's rich selection of artisan producers, small food businesses and restaurants over five months from May till September. The food series kicked off in May with a great array of events. I attended both the Bru Brewery tour and the Sheridan's Food Festival and had a fantastic time at both. I learnt so much and got to meet the people behind all the small businesses and artisan products. 

June Food Festivals & Events

It's the weekend again already!  Short working weeks are the best! To get you in the weekend mood here is a list of events taking place over the next few weeks. June is always a great month for festivals and events so there is loads happening and hopefully something of interest for everyone.