Can athlone become irelands ultimate foodie town
The Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) has this week launched a search for Ireland's top foodie destination.
With a number of renowned and award-winning eateries, Athlone has developed and expanded its restaurant offering in recent times.
The town now has a chance to enter the RAI's ‘Foodie Towns 2015’ competition. The contest will see towns and communities from all over the country battle it out to be named Ireland’s top town or destination for a foodie experience. Foodie Towns is in its second year and is now separate to the Irish Restaurant Awards, due to its success in 2014.
The ‘Foodie Town of Ireland’ award will recognise a town/destination that actively promotes itself through joint promotional activities such as food festivals, gourmet trails or farmers’ markets, as well as great dining experiences for locals and visitors alike.
The winning Irish town/destination will have established a local producer/supplier network which is utilised and promoted by local businesses. Plans for future growth and investment in the food and hospitality industry at a local level will also be taken into consideration by judges. Education, training, development and employment will be key components of the ultimate foodie destination.
Communities across the country are urged to get involved and work with local businesses, foodie groups, Chambers of Commerce and other working groups to submit their applications and promote their area to both local people and visitors. The greater the engagement between town officials, the community and the application process, the greater chances the town/destination has to win the coveted title.
The winning town/destination will be announced in October. Last year, Dingle was crowned the top foodie town in Ireland.
Anthony Gray, President of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, says that the rich landscape of the Irish culinary scene will provide an exciting battleground for the competition.
“All over Ireland, local community initiatives are shaping the food, hospitality and tourism industry at ground level. This is our opportunity to recognise these towns and communities for the amazing work they are doing to put Ireland at the forefront of culinary tourism,' he said.
Applicants can enter the competition by downloading the form available on foodietowns.ie and sending it in by post or email.
The application must be submitted by a minimum of 3 businesses or a business organisation/local authority/community group, and the closing date for receipt of applications is Monday, September 7.