Vote for Derry in Foodie Destination Final
Derry City and Strabane District Council is delighted to have been shortlisted as one of the top ten finalists by the Restaurants Association of Ireland in their search for top Foodie Destination 2016 and is now urging the public to get behind its campaign to secure the title.
Congratulating Council on progressing to the final stages of the competition, the Mayor Alderman Hilary McClintock said winning the prestigious title would be much deserved recognition for the city as an international food tourism destination.
She continued: “We pride ourselves on our hospitality and a warmth of welcome that is second to none. As runner-up Foodie Town 2015, we have already demonstrated that we are one of the leading foodie destinations, putting the highest quality local food provenance to the forefront of the visitor experience.
“I have every confidence that with the exemplary partnerships we enjoy with our award-winning local restaurants, chefs, producers and suppliers, combined with the invaluable support of the local community, we can win this title outright after being narrowly pipped at the post last year.”
Mayor McClintock urged the public to get behind the crucial final stage of the competition which involves two elements, online public voting worth 50%, and the other part of the judging process which will be determined by two independent assessors during a destination visit on August 30th to get a real sense of the renowned foodie experience on offer in the city.
Pointing out that Derry achieved the highest number of online public votes in last year’s competition which was scooped by The Burren in Co Clare, Mary Blake, Tourism Development Officer with Derry City and Strabane District Council, added: “Since last year we have worked collectively and more empowered than ever, showcasing the best of local produce and picking up many awards on the way.
“Our driving mission is that we are a truly LegenDerry Food destination. We are passionate about growing our Foodie Destination with a food offer that is’ LegenDerry and Local’ in all we do. This mission underpins our production, menu messaging, dining experiences and festivals and events.
“We firmly believe that we have what it takes to be crowned Foodie Destination of Ireland 2016 and would encourage everyone to ‘Vote For Us’ and also support our campaign on social media by using the hashtag #FoodieDestinations on Twitter and Facebook.”
The online public voting is now live by following the link http://www.foodiedestinations.ie/city/derry/. The voting will close at 12pm on Friday, September 9th with the winner announced soon afterwards.
