Restaurateurs launch gourmet food festival

FOURTEEN of the top restaurants in Limerick and the mid-west will offer an outstanding dining experience at exceptional prices as part of the inaugural Love Gourmet Week from June 3 to June 12.

As part of Love Gourmet Week, midweek promotions will take place in all participating restaurants, with wine deals, cocktail specials and unique, seasonal fine dining menus on offer.

Every evening, diners will be presented with a special “Love Gourmet Week” menu featuring locally produced, top-quality gourmet specials to choose from.

Celebrity chef Darina Allen complimented mid-west restaurant owners for organising the initiative.

“It’s so important to eat fresh, local and organic food wherever possible and I’m delighted to see these aims are an integral part of Love Gourmet Week in Limerick,” she said.

“In Ballymaloe, we teach our students the importance of cooking with locally grown and raised foods, and much of what’s used in our teaching kitchens is raised on the school’s farm. After all, you are what you eat.

“The cleaner the food you eat and the closer you live to the source, the better it is for you.

“I encourage everyone to sample some of the superb local fare on offer for Love Gourmet Week in Limerick and I wish the organisers the very best of success.”

Padraic Frawley, chairman of Love Gourmet Week, said the event will raise the profile of local producers and enhance Limerick’s reputation as a “foodie” hub.

“Limerick and the region have some fantastic restaurants with quality food, wine and great dining options to choose from, so we’re hoping to attract new visitors and foodies through Love Gourmet Week,” he said.

“We’re very excited about this initiative as it’s a chance for diners to get a wonderful fine dining experience at an incredible price and it helps promote Limerick and the Shannon Region as a culinary destination.”

Restaurants taking part in Love Gourmet Week include: Adare Manor, Azur; Bunratty Manor; The Cornstore; The Glasshouse, The Hamptons; The Market Square; The Mustard Seed, The River Bistro; The Cherry Tree; La Piccola; Brasserie One at No1 Pery Square; The River Restaurant at the Strand Hotel; and Synergie at The Clarion Hotel.