Honours for crème de la crème of Irish cuisine

THE cream rose to the top for the biggest assembly of top chefs and restaurateurs.

Upwards of 500 guests dined in the controlled elegance of Dublin’s Mansion House yesterday, and honoured the crème de la crème amongst them.

Garret Byrne from Chapter One was declared Chef of the Year to great acclaim at the big bash, hosted by Food & Wine magazine and drinks company Edward Dillon & Co Ltd.

Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud — an institution in gracious Dublin dining since 1982 — was voted the best establishment overall for 2006. It also scooped the Dublin Best Award.

Derry Clarke from L’Ecrivain and Martin Corbett from Chapter One — no strangers to the accolades of their peers and diners — were entered into the Hall of Fame for outstanding contributions to our gastronomic development.

Judge Hugo Arnold described the gala lunch — which was a five-course affair — as “lovely food and simple wines”.

Chairwoman of the judging panel Norah Casey said: “These awards are truly the consumer’s choice and reflect the exceptionally high standard of Irish cuisine.”

The publisher of Food & Wine magazine said: “One of the most significant developments in 2006 has been the high quality of entrants right across Ireland&.”

John Pearson, managing director of Edward Dillon’s, said the awards played an important role in the development and recognition of talent and excellence within Ireland’s “exciting and diverse” catering industry.

Regional awards included:

*Shu, Belfast (Ulster); The Tannery, Dungarvan, Co Waterford (Munster); Aldridge Lodge, Duncannon, Co Wexford (Leinster); Ard Bia, Galway (Connacht).

*Chefs — Raymond McArdle, Nuremore Hotel, Co Monaghan (Ulster); Noel Enright, The Chart House, Co Kerry (Munster); Sunil Ghai, Chakra by Jaipur, Co Wicklow (Leinster); Michael O’Meara, Oscar’s, Galway (Connacht).