Chef Andrew Power of Headfort Arms Hotel at the Headfort Summer Festival BBQ this year. Photograph by Enda Casey.

Boyne valley in running for top foodie destination award

The Boyne Valley has been named on the shortlist of Ireland’s top foodie destinations by the Restaurants Association of Ireland.
The Boyne Valley is up against competition from Derry, Dungarvan, Howth, Kilkenny, Kinsale, Loop Head Peninsula, Sligo, The Burren and West Cork and each of the ten finalists will now receive a pre-arranged visit by a pair of independent assessors in the coming weeks. This assessment will be combined with a national public voting campaign where the public can choose their winning foodie destination at www.foodietowns.ie.
Both components will carry equal weight in the overall score and the winning town/destination will be crowned ‘Foodie Town of Ireland 2015’ in October.
The ‘Foodie Town of Ireland’ award recognises a destination that actively promotes itself through joint promotional activities such as food festivals, gourmet trails or farmers’ markets as well as great dining experiences.
The winning Irish destination will have established a local producer/supplier network which is utilised and promoted by local businesses.
Plans for future growth and investment into the food and hospitality industry at a local level will also be taken into consideration by judges. Education, training, development and employment will be key components of the ultimate foodie destination.