The Westmeath winners of the Restaurant Association of Ireland Awards were announced on Wednesday night.
The winners were announced as part of the Leinster regional final which look place in Dublin.
The Westmeath winners included: Best Restaurant, Kin Khao; Best Chef, Feargal O’Donnell, The Fatted Calf; Best Gastro Pub, The Fatted Calf; Best Casual Dining, An Tintean Restaurant; Best Hotel Restaurant, The Restaurant at Wineport Lodge; Best Customer Service, Red Earth Restaurant; Best Wine Experience, Thyme Restaurant.
Over 500 restaurant owners and staff celebrated their hard work and achievements at the awards. All county winners now compete for the regional and all-Ireland title which will be announced at the Irish Restaurant Awards in the Double Tree Hotel, Dublin on Monday June 9.
There are three components to phase two of the process. Each element is independently assessed by Ernst and Young.
The mystery guest visit accounts for 55 per cent of the markings. This component of the awards is conducted by Prism Consulting headed by Hugo Arnold, independent food writer and consultant. All county winners receive a mystery guest visit throughout the month of April and May.
The National Awards Academy assessment accounts for 35 per cent. The National Awards Academy, made up of representatives from each of the regional judging panels, will meet in May to judge the county winners. The academy members include food writers, journalists, academics, and hospitality magazine editors.
Finally, menu judging accounts for the last 10 per cent. All county winners and the Dublin shortlist in each category are asked to submit a copy of their food menu and wine list for judging. These menus are then independently reviewed by Bord Bia.
