Strabane restaurants honoured with national industry awards
27 March 2023
Strabane’s growing reputation as a culinary destination received a significant boost last week when local restaurants claimed a number of titles at the prestigious Irish Restaurant Awards and the Food Awards Northern Ireland.
Oysters Restaurant was voted Best Restaurant in Tyrone at the Food Awards while the popular Patrick Street venue also received the Best Customer Service title at the Ulster Regional finals of the Irish Restaurant awards.
Also in the Irish Restaurant awards, one of the new faces in the local food scene, The Banks Restaurant in Main Street, was voted Best Newcomer and Best Emerging Irish cuisine in Tyrone.
Castle Street European and Indian cuisine specialists Tusk received the Best World Cuisine in Tyrone title at the same awards.
The Food Awards Northern Ireland seek to recognise and reward the talent and hard work in the hospitality industry and recognise the best restaurants, takeaways, pubs, cafes, and producers.
The winners were selected based on a public vote where they selected their favourite establishments across various categories.
The county winners of the Irish Restaurant Awards will now go forward to the national finals where the winners will be announced at a gala event in the Burlington Hotel in May.
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Sandra Duffy, congratulated all the Strabane award winners.
"These awards are just recognition of the passion and dedication that exists within our food industry and the hard work of those who provide exceptional culinary experiences to their customers,” she said.
“Our Council area is now firmly established as a foody destination with a wide choice of restaurants offering locally sourced and high level cuisine.
"The winners should be proud of their achievement, they represent the very best of our food and drink scene and are a reflection of the quality and diversity that exists within the industry locally.”
Kieran Kennedy, Chair of Strabane BID, congratulated all three restaurants.
“This is an outstanding endorsement of the local Strabane restaurant scene and all three restaurants are worthy winners,” he said.
“It has been a challenging few years for everyone in the hospitality industry however all three venues have worked hard to continue to offer a first class service to the public.
“Congratulations to all the winners and good luck to them as they represent Tyrone and Ulster when the national winners of the Irish Restaurant Awards are announced in Dublin in May.”
Emma McGill Strabane Town Centre Manager added: “Congratulations
to all the winning restaurants who are part of a growing and thriving food scene in Strabane.
“The Banks has only been operating for a short time but they are already firm favourites with the public.
“Tusk has gone from strength to strength after their rebrand and stunning new renovations.
“Oysters is a renowned fine dining venue and have won several awards over the years and their 100% locally sourced menus remain as popular as ever.”
Full details of the Irish Restaurant Awards are available at https://irishrestaurantawards.com/
To learn more about how the Strabane BID visit derrystrabane/bid.