Plenty of local winners at Irish Restaurant Awards

A number of local businesses in the hospitality sector were celebrating on Tuesday night as pubs and restaurants were honoured at the Irish Restaurant Awards which took place in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Sligo.

The Old Stone House in Ballinlough claimed the Roscommon award for Best Restaurant and the Best Chef gong. The Best Gastro Pub award went to Hester’s Golden Eagle in Castlerea while Best Customer Service was awarded to Regan’s Restaurant, Roscommon.

The event, also known as the ‘Food Oscars’, saw Keenan’s of Tarmonbarry claiming the Best Hotel and Guesthouse Award as well as the Best Restaurant Manager award for Audit Navrish, Rogue & Co, Roscommon town winning the Best Casual Dining Award, and Pub of the Year going to Coffey’s of Lecarrow for rural business, social enterprises and community groups in Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo.

“This event is the culmination of 18 months of REBOOT where we have helped over 300 organisations cope with and recover from the impacts of Brexit and C19. This event promises to be highly engaging, informative and of practical assistance to organisations across Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo.

Admission is free but spaces are limited and booking is essential. We look forward to meeting you there”.

The event takes place at the McWilliam Park Hotel Claremorris on April 19th from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm and will be followed by a networking lunch. Attendance is free, but spaces are limited – to book, visit bit.ly/rebootandnetwork or search for Reboot & Network on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

My Kitchen by Sham Hanifa in Sunday Times’ Best Restaurants List

Carrick-on-Shannon restaurant My Kitchen by Sham Hanifa has been included in the Sunday Times’ 100 Best Restaurants List for 2023.

President of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, Paul Lenehan pictured with staff of Coffey’s Bar, Lecarrow including Alan Martin, proprietor Sarahjane Coffey, Noel Galvin. the second year running.

The Best Newcomer Award went to My Kitchen by Sham Hanifa in Carrickon-Shannon, who also took home the Best World Cuisine award.

Among the other awards:

Athleague’s Les Petites Tartres was named as Best Café; Kilronan Castle claimed ‘Best Wine Experience; Fusion Roscommon won Best Emerging Irish Cuisine; Bastion K2tchen was awarded the ‘Best Free

From’ award and ‘Innovator of the Year’; Benny’s Deli in Castlerea won ‘Best Sustainable Practices’, and the Local Food Hero award went to the Allen Family at Castlemine Farm.

The Roscommon winners now go forward to compete in the regional and All-Ireland finals, the winners of which will be announced at the Irish Restaurant Awards All-Ireland Final on Monday, May 15th in the Clayton Hotel, Dublin.

Kroll, an independent provider of risk and financial advisory solutions, revealed today in its new survey, fresh fears that restaurants and other businesses in the hospitality sector may be forced to close in the coming 12 months as a result of inflationary and staffing pressures.

The Kroll Business Sentiment Survey of Restaurants & Hospitality, carried out in partnership with the Restaurants Association of Ireland, revealed 67 per cent of businesses are concerned for the coming year.

These findings follow news of the extension to the reduced VAT rate for the hospitality sector, but at a time when businesses are no longer able to warehouse additional revenue liabilities.

Meanwhile, Library Street in Dublin has taken the number one spot in the Top Ten Hottest Dining Rooms list, followed by Goldie in Cork and Big Mike’s in Blackrock, Dublin.

This year’s list focuses on the most exciting and vital rooms to eat modern and creative Irish cooking. The Top Ten Hottest Dining Rooms capture the spirit of modern Irish cooking and hospitality using local Irish ingredients found close to their location.

Compiled by renowned food critics John and Sally McKenna, this is their fourth decade covering the 100 Best Restaurants in Ireland and their seventh edition with The Sunday Times. The full list of the 100 Best Restaurants is available in The Sunday Times on Sunday, March 26th.

Over a quarter (27 per cent) of businesses surveyed, which availed of the tax warehousing scheme, indicated they would not have been able to pay the associated debt in the next 12 months if the Revenue’s Tax Warehouse Scheme wouldn’t have been extended, while a further 12 per cent were unsure if they would be able to repay the debt.

Slightly larger numbers of stock presented for sale this week and despite the continued inclement weather conditions trade and prices have been maintained.

The weanling rings witnessed excellent demand this week with bulls making up to €4.32 a kilo while the heifer weanlings made up to €4.24.

The heifer ring witnessed good demand for both stores and forward lots with lots topping out at €2,170, while the dry cow ring noticed a top price of €3,170 paid or €3.25 a kilo.

The calf ring, with increased lots on offer, witnessed excellent demand for the AAX and Hex calves with a variance in price for the dairy calves depending on quality. Breeding stock made up to €2,120.

Cows with calves at foot made up to €2,050 with springers topping out at €2,120. Aberdeen Angus, Hereford and Limousin cross calves made from €150 to €380, dairy cross calves made from €2 to €50 with continentals making from €180 to €380. Runners made from €400 to €1,210 for continental lots.

There were 120 bullocks on offer this week with forward lots making up to €2,150 with the top-quality stores making up to €3.60 a kilo.

Sales continue at Castlerea Mart today (March 30th) when we have our weekly sale of heifers, cows, calves, runners, and weanlings.

All sales commence at 11 am.

Sample prices for heifers: BBX 360kgs €1410, Sim 395kgs €1340, Ch 365kgs €1300, AAx 495kgs €1630, Lm 470kgs €1570, BBx 450kgs €1570, Ch 630kgs €2170, Ch 580kgs €2090, Ch 600kgs €1990.

Dry cows: Ch 975kgs €3170, Lm 750kgs €2260, Sim 765kgs

€2230, Ch 715kgs €2200, Lm 715kgs €2160, Fr 470kgs €950, Fr 635kgs €1410, Hex 715kgs €1630, AA 670kgs €1800.

Weanling bulls: Ch 290kgs €1100, BBx 290kgs €1100, Ch 240kgs €990, Ch 253kgs €980, Lm 245kgs €930, Lm 225kgs

€920, BBx 395kgs €1400, Lm 485kgs €1470, Lm 355kgs

€1390, Ch 315kgs €1360, Lm 310kgs €1280, AA 335kgs

€1160.

Weanling heifers: BBx 290kgs €1100, Ch 270kgs €1080, Ch

255kgs €1010, Ch 290kgs €990, Lm 215kgs €900, Lm 240kgs

€850, AA 315kgs €900, AA 365kgs €1140, Lm 325kgs €1380.

Bullocks: Lm 470kgs €1690, Au 490kgs €1540, Ch 510kgs €1840, Lm 540kgs €1810, AA 530kgs €1700, Ch 565kgs €1950, Ch 610kgs €2090, BB 625kgs €2070, AA 685kgs €2150.

Roscommon MART WATCH

There was a good entry of stock on offer at last Friday’s special bullock and heifer sale with a very strong trade for all classes.

Bullocks fetched from an average of €3.25 per kilo up to €3.84 per kilo. Heifers fetched from an average of €3.02 per kilo up to €3.67 per kilo. There was also a large entry of dry Cows and they made an average of €2.62 per kilo up to €3.43 per kilo. There was a good attendance of customers at the ringside with online bidders also active.

There was a good entry of top-quality weanlings on offer at our sale held on Tuesday evening last with a strong trade for both bulls and heifers. Bull weanlings fetched from an average of €3.26 per kilo up to €3.92 per kilo, while heifer weanlings made from an average of €3.20 per kilo up to €4. There was a very good attendance of customers ringside with online buyers also active. We had a larger number of sheep on offer at our weekly sale of lambs and cast ewes. Prices for finished hoggets peaked at €164. The tops for stag ewes fetched €220. Please note all sheep must be tagged with a full yellow EID Tag set. Next sale of lambs and cast ewes is Wednesday next (5th) at 11 am. Yard opens at 8 am. All stock must be penned by 10 am. Sale can be viewed live on www. livestock-live.com.

Sample prices for dry cows: Lim X 805kgs €2,760, Lim X 895kgs €2,720, Char X 860kgs €2,660, Lim X 850kgs €2,640, Char X 865kgs €2,630, SAX 860kgs €2,560, BAX 840kgs

€2,520, Lim X 770kgs €2,340, Char X 735kgs €2,300.

Bullocks: Char X 560kgs €2,150, Char X 685kgs €2,610, Lim X 710kgs €2,600, Lim X 740kgs €2,530, Char X 645kgs

€2,400, Lim X 690kgs €2,360, Char X 665kgs €2,280, Char X 630kgs €2,260, Lim X 615kgs €2,240, Char X 625kgs

€2,230, Char X 580kgs €2,200, Char X 600kgs €2,180, Char X 605kgs €2,160, Char X 585kgs €2,150, Char X 560kgs

€2,120, Lim X 570kgs €2,010, Char X 540kgs €1,940, Char X 585kgs €2,100, Char X 575kgs €2,090, Char X 510kgs

€1,780, Char X 530kgs €1,880.

Heifers: Char X 480kgs €1,760, Lim X 575kgs

€1,970, Char X 585kgs €1,890, Char X 570kgs €1,880, Char X 580kgs €1,870, Lim X 555kgs €1,790, Char X 550kgs €1,750, Char X 535kgs €1,720, Char X 530kgs €1,700, Char X 505kgs

€1,680, Char X 480kgs €1,670, Char X 460kgs €1,650, Char X 455kgs €1,570, BBX 460kgs €1,560, Lim X 495kgs €1,600, Lim X 460kgs €1,540, Lim X 485kgs €1,570, Char X 450kgs

€1,500, Char X 435kgs €1,470, Lim X 430kgs

€1,440, Char X 400kgs €1,400.

Weanling heifers: Char X 310kgs €1,240, Char X 365kgs

€1,450, Lim X 355kgs €1,290, Char X 325kgs €1,270, Lim X 320kgs €1,270, Lim X 305kgs €1,160, Char X 355kgs €1,290, Char X 310kgs €1,160, Char X 295kgs €1,130, Char X 290kgs

€1,100, Char X 285kgs €1,080, Char X 265kgs €950.

Weanling bulls: Char X 325kgs €1,290, Char X 530kgs

€1,980, Char X 460kgs €1,730, Lim X 405kgs €1,500, Char X 395kgs €1,480, Lim X 390kgs €1,480, Char X 370kgs €1,380, Char X 325kgs €1,280, Char X 295kgs €1,110, Lim X 290kgs

€1,070, Char X 285kgs €1,060, Lim X 420kgs €1,560.

Finished hoggets: 63kgs €164, 62.9kgs €162, 53kgs

€160, 60kgs €160, 51.7kgs €160, 57kgs €158, 56.6kgs €156, 53.9kgs €156, 55kgs €155, 50.4kgs €155, 48.9kgs €151, 48.4kgs €151, 49kgs €147, 46kgs €143.