Cavan chef's restaurant named best in Ireland
A Cavan chef's Galway-based restaurant has been named best in Ireland at the 2019 irish Restaurant Awards.
The Irish Restaurant Awards took place in the Clayton Hotel Burlington Road on Monday evening last, where over 1,100 guests sat down to a black-tie gala dinner to celebrate and honour the hard work and achievements of those working in the Irish restaurant industry.
Loam in Galway, which is owned by Virginia-born Enda McEvoy lifted the top restaurant award, which is sponsored by Tindal Wine Merchants.
In a bid to learn his trade, Enda travelled far and wide, across Europe in the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Denmark and Amsterdam, as well as Australia.
Enda returned to Ireland to join the burgeoning restaurant scene ‘out west’ where he was invited to work as head chef by famed Irish restaurateurs JP McMahon and Drigín Gaffey at their new restaurant, Aniar.
Here the former Bridgestone’s ‘Chef of the Year’ 2011 put his name on the home map, earning the restaurant and himself a first Michelin star in 2013.
In 2014 Enda though established Loam just off the city’s Eyre Square, and it wasn't long before it too was included in the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2016.
In lifting the overall award, Loam was also named best restaurant in Connaught.
Read out full interview with Enda from 2015 here: https://www.anglocelt.ie/news/roundup/articles/2015/11/14/4109613-inside-story-theres-no-place-like-loam/
There was further success for the county with The Neven Maguire Cookery School winning the Best Cookery School award, sponsored by Avonmore.
Several other top Cavan chef's and restaurants were represented at the awards.
The Ulster winner of the Best Kids Size Me award, sponsored by BWG Food Service, was the Oak Room in Cavan Town, while Dinkin's Home Bakery & Café in Monaghan was the provincial winner in the Best Café category, sponsored by Illy.
The Ulster winner in the Best Free From category, sponsored by Peroni Nastro Azzurro Gluten Free, was The Olde Post Inn in Cloverhill.