Fáilte Ireland has announced the Burren Food Trail as the Irish winner of this year’s European Destination of Excellence (EDEN) award.

The EU-wide competition is designed to promote a more sustainable form of tourism development.

Launched as the midwest’s first food trail in 2013, the Burren project involves food events every Monday from May to October showcasing the region’s cuisine.

The theme of this year’s EDEN competition was tourism and local gastronomy. The winner was chosen following on-site assessments by a panel of adjudicators.

John Mulcahy of Fáilte Ireland said this year’s competition focused on small, emerging, non-traditional destinations located off the beaten track that offered an authentic food experience.

“Only in its third year the Burren Food Trail is still relatively new and we were impressed with the importance they placed on making the Burren region synonymous with great food and great food experiences for visitors and the local community.”