Gregans Castle scoops top food awards

GREGANS CASTLE is the big winner in this year's Food and Winemagazine awards, scooping the accolades for best restaurant and best chef.

The restaurant, in the heart of the Burren, Co Clare, has won numerous awards in the past but never restaurant of the year in this competition until now.

In addition it also won Munster restaurant of the year. Its Finnish-born chef, Mickael Viljanen (30), won chef of the year and Munster chef of the year.

Mr Viljanen came to Ireland to work 11 years ago and has been with Gregans Castle for four years.

It is a small restaurant with just 50 seats and is situated in Gregans Castle Hotel. It specialises in seasonal produce or, as Mr Viljanen calls it, “modern European cooking”.

A signature dish contains smoked egg yolks, salsa, chicken liver, lobster and local sea vegetables.

Mr Viljanen said they were lucky to be busy, with their non-resident business “up hugely” on last year. “The Irish customer base is up a lot too.”

Mr Viljanen has won widespread praise for his use of local ingredients, exploiting Gregans Castle’s sea location along with its commitment to local butchers.

Food and Wineeditor Ross Golden-Bannon said the award was a tribute to Mr Viljanen who has taken an outsider's perspective on local Irish produce.

“In a difficult market he has stuck to the basic principles of seasonality and locality and he has taken that to the nth degree. He has woven in local traditions with his knowledge of food which is quite different from ours; he has delivered a unique produce.”

Gregans Castle pipped Chapter One, which won in the two previous years, to restaurant of the year. But Chapter One still managed to pick up best Dublin restaurant of the year, the best service award and best Dublin chef award for Ross Lewis.

For the second year running, the readers’ choice award went to the Italian restaurant Campo de’Fiori on the seafront in Bray, Co Wicklow.

Hilary Finlay, the director of Ireland’s Blue Book and Kevin Thornton, the head chef of Thornton’s Restaurant in Dublin, were both entered into the hall of fame.

The awards are decided by a panel of food writers and critics. They were presented yesterday at a ceremony in the Convention Centre, Dublin.

The winners tasting success

Restaurant of the year: Gregans Castle

Chef of the year: Mickael Viljanen Gregans Castle

Best Ulster restaurant award: Balloo House, Co Down

Best Munster restaurant award:Gregans Castle, Co Clare

Best Leinster restaurant award: Campagne, Co Kilkenny

Best Connacht restaurant award:La Fougére, Co Mayo

Best Dublin restaurant award: Chapter One, Dublin

Good value award:Hargadons, Co Sligo and Dublin

Good cooking award:Farmgate Restaurant, Co Cork