Cheers Take Home takes the honours with 2005 Off-Licence of the Year title
Four regional awards were presented to McHugh’s Off-Licence, 57 Kilbarrack Road, Dublin (Dublin); The Wine Centre, John Street, Kilkenny (Leinster); World Wide Wines, The Cove Centre, Dunmore Road, Waterford (Munster) and Fahy’s Off-Licence, Teeling Street, Ballina, Co Mayo (Connaught/Ulster).
Three specialist awards were also presented to Galvin’s Carry Out Off-Licence, Main Street, Carrigaline, Co Cork (Spirits); Galvin’s Carry Out Off-Licence, Unit 6, Owenabue Mall, Main Street, Carrigaline, Co Cork (Wines); and McHugh’s Off-Licence, 25 Malahide Road, Dublin (Beer).
The winners were selected after months of research and review by three independent judges, culminating in yesterday’s final competitive element, a wine-tasting which tested the sommelier skills of staff from the 25 shortlisted off-licences.
The judges - Margaret Brannigan, Fiona M Keane and Raymond Blake - also awarded marks for overall appearance, customer service, hygiene and product range.
In its ninth year, the competition is open to members of NOffLA, which represents some 300 independent off-licences. The sector is worth an estimated €1.2 billion, and is growing at approximately twice the rate of the pub trade.
Indeed much of that growth is coming from our switch from going out to entertaining at home, but, with significantly lower barriers to entry than the on-trade, the off-trade is becoming increasingly competitive.
John Shiel, chairman of NOffLA, says “The mass exodus of retail business from the Republic’s economy, highlighted in the pre-Christmas period, is surely a matter that the Government must sit up and take notice of. The feedback from our members, particularly in the border areas, confirms the media coverage of large numbers of shoppers from the Republic travelling north to do their Christmas shopping, with alcohol amongst the most prominent purchases.”
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