Search for Northern Ireland’s Hospitality Stars Hots Up
Shortlist announced for Hospitality Ulster’s Pub of the Year Awards
The search to find Northern Ireland’s top hospitality stars is stepping up a gear, as the shortlist for Hospitality Ulster’s Pub of the Year Awards 2016 is revealed.
This year’s Awards will be the mostly hotly contested to date. Following a record number of entries from pubs, hotels and restaurants, a total of 46 shortlisted premises and individuals from right across Northern Ireland will now go head to head to be named the toast of the trade at the top industry Awards next month.
Winners of the 13 Awards will be revealed at a special gala awards night hosted by U105 presenter, Frank Mitchell, at the Ramada Plaza on Wednesday 16th November 2016.
In recognition of the ever widening scope of the hospitality industry in Northern Ireland, a total of 13 Awards are up for grabs, each designed to highlight the very best that the sector has to offer.
New for 2016, Hospitality Ulster has introduced a Food & Beverage Manager of the Year Award which is open to entrants from pubs, restaurants and hotels.
Three individual Pub of the Year Awards will recognise the best pubs and bars in rural, urban and city locations across Northern Ireland and this year’s Awards will once again recognise the growing importance of locally sourced food, through three Commitment to Local Food Awards for pubs, restaurants and hotels (in partnership with Food NI).
A Commitment to the Community Award will recognise the immense contribution hospitality businesses make within their local communities and in the Hotel Bar of the Year category, there will be two Awards: Hotel Bar of the Year (1* – 3*) and Hotel Bar of the Year (4* – 5*).
One Award category invited nominations from the general public, with the public nominating their favourite barperson through The Sunday Life, which is joining forces with Hospitality Ulster once again to search for Northern Ireland’s Barperson of the Year.
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The Awards will also recognise the industry’s rising stars and those that have played a vital role in shaping the sector with two new Awards: Hospitality Ulster’s Rising Star (in partnership with Ulster University) and the Industry Legend Award (in partnership with Hospitality Review), the winners of which will be announced at the Gala Awards night next month.
The full shortlist for Hospitality Ulster’s Pub of the Year Awards 2016 is as follows:
Pub of the Year (Urban)
Front Page Bar, Ballymena, Co. Antrim
Kiwi’s Brew Bar, Portrush, Co. Antrim
Shenanigans Venue, Portstewart, Co. Derry~Londonderry
The Hole in the Wall Bar, Armagh, Co. Armagh
The Taphouse, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh
Pub of the Year (Rural)
Matties Meeting House, Cairncastle, Larne, Co. Antrim
The Corner House Bar, Lurgan, Co. Armagh
The Lobster Pot Bar/Restaurant, Strangford, Co. Down
The Riverside Bar, Garrison, Co. Fermanagh
The Speckled Hen, Lisburn, Co. Antrim
Pub of the Year (City)
Ryan’s Bar and Restaurant, Belfast, Co. Antrim
The National & Sixty6, Belfast, Co. Antrim
The Perch, Belfast, Co. Antrim
The River Inn, Shipquay St, Derry~Londonderry
White’s Tavern, Belfast, Co. Antrim
Hotel Bar of the Year 1*-3*
Adair Arms Hotel, Ballymena, Co. Antrim
Armagh City Hotel, Armagh, Co. Armagh
Dunsilly Hotel, Antrim, Co. Antrim
Ivanhoe Inn & Hotel, Carryduff, Co. Down
Hotel Bar of the Year 4*-5*
Canal Court Hotel & Spa, Newry, Co. Down
Galgorm Resort & Spa, Ballymena, Co. Antrim
Hastings Everglades Hotel, Derry~Londonderry
Malmaison, Belfast, Co. Antrim
Commitment to the Community
Bushmills Inn Hotel, Bushmills, Co. Antrim
Dunsilly Hotel, Antrim, Co. Antrim
Front Page Bar, Ballymena, Co. Antrim
The Hatfield House, Belfast, Co. Antrim
The Hillside, Hillsborough, Co. Down
Commitment to Local Food (Restaurant) in partnership with Food NI/Taste of Ulster
Native by Yellow Door, MAC, Belfast, Co. Antrim
Ocho Tapas Bistro, Portrush, Co. Antrim
Pier 59, Strand Rd, Derry, Derry~Londonderry
The Hillside, Hillsborough, Co. Down
The Yellow Heifer, Camlough, Co. Down
Commitment to Local Food (Pub) in partnership with Food NI/Taste of Ulster
Friel’s Bar and Restaurant, Swatragh, Maghera, Co. Derry~Londonderry
The Corner House Bar, Lurgan, Co. Armagh
The Morning Star, Belfast, Co. Antrim
The Parlour Bar, Newtownards, Co. Down
The Taphouse, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh
Commitment to Local Food (Hotel) in partnership with Food NI/Taste of Ulster
Bushmills Inn Hotel, Bushmills, Co. Antrim
Canal Court Hotel & Spa, Newry, Co. Down
Dunsilly Hotel, Antrim, Co. Antrim
Slieve Donard Resort & Spa, Newcastle, Co. Down
Food and Beverage Manger of the Year
Anna Marie Mc Ferran, The Old Thatch Inn, Magherafelt, Co. Derry~Londonderry
Breandán Kerr, Ivanhoe Inn and Hotel, Carryduff, Co. Down
Chris Bell, Shenanigans Venue, Portstewart, Co. Derry~Londonderry
Morgan Watson, Horatio Todd’s, Belfast, Co. Antrim
Barperson of the Year (in association with Sunday Life)
Feargal Shannon, Crowes Nest, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh
Melony Connor, Fitzwilliam Hotel, Belfast, Co. Antrim
Paul Rocks, Aether & Echo, Belfast, Co. Antrim
Sarah Hamilton Front Page Bar, Ballymena, Co. Antrim
Sinead Keenan Dan’s Bar & Off Sales (The Orient Bar), Belfast, Co. Antrim
Tim Mcllreavy, Kiwi’s Brew Bar, Portrush, Co. Antrim
Hospitality Ulster Rising Star (in partnership with Ulster University)
To be announced on the night
Industry Legend (in partnership with Hospitality Review NI)
To be announced on the night
All shortlisted entrants have been vetted and judged by an independent judging panel comprised of industry experts and will now be mystery shopped to ensure they meet industry standards and best practice guidelines.
Commenting on the announcement of the shortlist, Olga Walls, Chair of Hospitality Ulster said: “These Awards provide a valuable opportunity to recognise the significant contribution Northern Ireland’s hospitality venues make, not only within their own communities, but to the hospitality sector as a whole.
“We have fantastic, world class hospitality venues on our doorstep and Hospitality Ulster is proud to recognise and reward those businesses that are setting industry standards with their customer offering, service and innovations.
“The competition for this year’s Awards is very high, which is a real indication of the standards being set across the sector. I would like to congratulate all of the shortlisted individuals, pubs, restaurants and hotels and wish them the very best of luck at next month’s Pub of the Year Awards.”
The Pub of the Year Awards moves to a new venue for 2016. On Wednesday 16th November, hundreds of publicans and restaurateurs from across Northern Ireland will gather in the Ramada Plaza at Shaw’s Bridge, Belfast to toast Northern Ireland’s hospitality industry.
The Pub of the Year Awards are the only industry recognised awards. This year’s Awards are supported by Britvic, Coca-Cola, Diageo, Dillon Bass, Drinks Inc., Henderson Foods, Molson Coors, Richmond Marketing, Tennent’s NI, United Wine Merchants, and media partners, Sunday Life, Hospitality Review NI and U105.
For further information about the Pub of the Year Awards, visit www.nipuboftheyear.org
Keep up to date with all the Pub of the Year Awards 2016 news on the Hospitality Ulster Twitter @HospUlster and Facebook using the hashtag, #NIPubAwards.
