Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Awards 2007 Announced
The Gold Medal Awards recognise and reward excellence within the Irish hotel and catering industry, presenting awards in 12 separate categories which are generously sponsored by Irish and international companies committed to and connected with Ireland’s thriving hospitality industry. From the 12 hotel, restaurant and catering winners, the supreme winner of the Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Award for Excellence was chosen. This year the coveted award was presented to Kelly’s Resort Hotel & Spa, Rosslare.
Backed by a century of service, Kelly’s Resort Hotel & Spa, Wexford has been a family run resort hotel for four generations since it was founded by William J. Kelly in 1895, and is uniquely situated along five miles of sandy beach in Rosslare. As well as scooping the top award of the night, Kelly’s Resort Hotel & Spa was also presented with the Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Award for Four Star Hotels, sponsored by Tourism Solutions.
‘Kelly’s Resort Hotel & Spa is a legendary force in the Irish hospitality industry,’ says Sarah Grennan, editor of Hotel & Catering Review and chairman of the Gold Medal Awards Jury. ‘Like generations of Irish holidaymakers who flock to Kelly’s time and time again, our judges were bowled over by the hotel’s welcoming staff, fine food and wine, and superior offering. Kelly’s is indeed a very worthy winner of the supreme Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Award for Excellence.’
Now in its 19th year, the prestigious Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Awards recognise excellence across a broad spectrum of hotel, restaurant and catering businesses. The gala black tie Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Awards are the highlight of the industry’s calendar.
Also celebrating on the night were 11 other category winners including Hayfield Manor, Cork, which won the prestigious Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Award for Five Star Hotels, sponsored by BWG Foodservice; the Quality Hotel Limerick & Leisure Centre, which scooped the Gold Medal Award for Three Star Hotels, sponsored by Musgrave Foodservices and Rathsallagh House Hotel & Golf Club in Wicklow which beat off stiff competition to win the Gold Medal Award for Country Houses, sponsored by Laurent-Perrier.
The Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Award for Fine Dining, sponsored by Remy Martin went to Ranelagh restaurant Mint, the Award for Bistros & Brasseries, sponsored by Brinkman Beverages went to Max’s Wine Bar in Kinsale and the Gold Medal Award for Ethnic Restaurants, sponsored by Cobra Beer went to Tralee’s Tamarind Heavenly Thai.
Other winners included Mayo’s famous Ashford Castle, which won the Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Award for Wine Experience, sponsored by Gilbeys and Stonecutters Kitchen in Doolin, Co Clare which picked up the Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Award for Cafés & Coffee Shops, sponsored by the Kenco Coffee Company. Unilever Foodsolutions sponsored two Gold Medal Awards this year, one for Value Dining, which went to Aldridge Lodge in Duncannon, Co Wexford and one for Industrial Caterers, which went to Sodexho Ireland at Dell, Dublin. The Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Award for Institutional Caterers, sponsored by the Catering Equipment Association, went to St Stephen’s Psychiatric Hospital in Glanmire, Co Cork.
The Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Awards are the most keenly contested and popular awards for the Irish hotel and catering industry. Originally, more than 200 hotels, country houses, restaurants and industrial and institutional caterers entered this year in over 300 categories, and all entries were rigorously inspected by members of the Gold Medal Awards Jury who then selected a short list of 120 businesses to be visited in the second round of judging.
These 120 businesses were visited incognito by the nine members of the Gold Medal Jury throughout the summer, when, between them, they travelled over 11,160 miles the length and breadth of the country to experience, analyse and rate the shortlisted properties. The judges are all highly respected experts in hospitality with proven track records and can proudly stand over the exemplary impartiality and fairness of these awards.
Full list of category finalists, sponsors and winners below.
HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW GOLD MEDAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE 2007
Presented by: Hotel & Catering Review
Kelly’s Resort Hotel & Spa, Rosslare, Co Wexford
FIVE STAR HOTELS
Sponsor: BWG Foodservice
Finalists
Hayfield Manor, Cork
Park Hotel, Kenmare
Sheen Falls Lodge, Kenmare
The Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Award for Five Star Hotels, sponsored by BWG Foodservice went to Hayfield Manor
FOUR STAR HOTELS
Sponsor: Tourism Solutions
Finalists
Carton House, Maynooth, Co Kildare
Fitzpatrick’s Castle Hotel, Killiney, Co Dublin
Harvey’s Point Country Hotel, Donegal
Kelly’s Resort Hotel & Spa, Rosslare, Co Wexford
Knockranny House Hotel, Westport, Co Mayo
The Brehon, Killarney, Co Kerry
The Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Award for Four Star Hotels, sponsored by Tourism Solutions went to Kelly’s Resort Hotel & Spa, Rosslare, Co Wexford
THREE STAR HOTELS
Sponsor: Musgrave Foodservices
Finalists
Casey’s of Baltimore, Co Cork
Clew Bay Hotel, Westport, Co Mayo
Quality Hotel Limerick & Leisure Centre, Limerick
The Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Award for Three Star Hotels, sponsored by Musgrave Foodservices went to Quality Hotel Limerick & Leisure Centre
COUNTRY HOUSES
Sponsor: Laurent-Perrier
Finalists
Moy House, Lahinch, Co Clare
Rathmullan House Hotel, Rathmullan, Co Donegal
Rathsallagh House Hotel & Golf Club, Dunlavin, Co Wicklow
The Mustard Seed at Echo Lodge, Ballingarry, Co Limerick
Wineport Lodge, Glasson, Co Westmeath
The Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Award for Country Houses, sponsored by Laurent-Perrier went to Rathsallagh House Hotel & Golf Club
FINE DINING
Sponsor: Remy Martin
Finalists
Bon Appetit, Malahide, Co Dublin
Castle Murray House Restaurant, Dunkineely, Co Donegal
Mint Restaurant, Ranelagh, Dublin 6
Still Restaurant at Dylan, Dublin 4
The Restaurant at the Nuremore Hotel & Country Club, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan
The Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Award for Fine Dining, sponsored by Remy Martin went to Mint
BISTROS & BRASSERIES
Sponsor: Brinkman Beverages
Finalists
Max’s Wine Bar, Kinsale, Co Cork
O’Grady’s on the Pier, Bearna, Co Galway
Rosso, Dundalk, Co Louth
The Trocadero, Dublin 2
Tribes, Glasthule, Co Dublin
The Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Award for Bistros and Brasseries, sponsored by Brinkman Beverages went to Max’s Wine Bar
ETHNIC RESTAURANTS
Sponsor: Cobra Beer
Finalists
Eatzen, Ashbourne, Co Meath
Indie Spice, Swords, Co Dublin
Kinara, Clontarf, Dublin 3
Tamarind Heavenly Thai, Tralee, Co Kerry
The Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Award for Ethnic Restaurants, sponsored by Cobra Beer went to Tamarind Heavenly Thai
CAFÉS & COFFEE SHOPS
Sponsor: Kenco Coffee Company
Finalists
Brambles Café, Dundrum Town Centre, Dublin 14
Ryans Food Company, Naas, Co Kildare
Stonecutters Kitchen, Doolin, Co Clare
The Silk Road Café, Chester Beatty Library, Dublin 1
The Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Award for Cafes and Coffee Shops, sponsored by Kenco Coffee Company, went to Stonecutters Kitchen
VALUE DINING
Sponsor: Unilever Foodsolutions
Finalists
Aldridge Lodge, Duncannon, Co Wexford
Fitzpatrick’s Bar & Restaurant, Jenkinstown, Dundalk, Co Louth
Ilia Coffee Experience, Mullingar, Co Westmeath
Isaacs Restaurant, Cork
Madden’s Bistro at Clew Bay Hotel, Westport, Co Mayo
The Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Award for Value Dining, sponsored by Unilever Foodsolutions, went to Aldridge Lodge
INDUSTRIAL CATERERS
Sponsor: Unilever Foodsolutions
Finalists
Aramark/Campbell Catering at Boston Scientific, Galway
Kylemore at Conduit, Dublin
Sodexho Ireland at Dell, Dublin
Sodexho Ireland at Hibernian Insurance, Dublin
The Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Award for Industrial Caterers, sponsored by Unilever Foodsolutions, went to Sodexho Ireland at Dell, Dublin
INSTITUTIONAL CATERERS
Sponsor: The Catering Equipment Association
Finalists
Brothers of Charity Services, Bawnmore, Limerick
Dochas Centre, Mountjoy Female Prison, Dublin 7
Leopardstown Park Hospital, Dublin 18
St John of God Hospital, Stillorgan, Co Dublin
St Stephen’s Psychiatric Hospital, Glanmire, Co Cork
The Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Award for Institutional Caterers, sponsored by
The Catering Equipment Association, went to St Stephen’s Psychiatric Hospital
WINE EXPERIENCE
Sponsor: Gilbeys
Finalists
Ashford Castle, Cong, Co Mayo
King Sitric Fish Restaurant, Howth, Co Dublin
Sheen Falls Lodge, Kenmare, Co Kerry
Park Hotel, Kenmare, Co Kerry
The Nuremore Hotel & Country Club, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan
Wineport Lodge, Glasson, Co Westmeath
The Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Award for Wine Experience, sponsored by Gilbeys, went to Ashford Castle