Waterford has been chosen as the winner of Foodie Destinations 2019, an initiative run by the Restaurants Association of Ireland.
Public votes were combined with the scores from judges who visited the locations in contention. Judges noted effort put in by the sense of community and local awareness, pride and passion for creating food tourism in the area. Of particular note, was seeing local chefs and producers working closely together.
Taste Causeway was runner-up in the nationwide competition, with The Food Coast in Donegal finishing in third place.
Meanwhile, Donegal town was also announced as the winning Foodie Town for 2019. This award is presented to towns where tourism is a key part of the local economy. Local hospitality and knowledge coupled with the variety of dining experiences on offer, helped clinch the award for Donegal town.
“I’d like to offer a massive congratulations to Waterford. It’s clear that a huge amount of time and effort has gone into making it a foodie destination worth visiting and it is clear that it is a very co-ordinated effort run by people who are passionate about food in Waterford,” said Adrian Cummins, chief executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, at an awards ceremony in Kilkenny.
“I’d also like to congratulate the other finalists: it’s not easy to get this far, and all of the applications were very impressive. Each and every finalist should be very proud of getting so far.”
