Café Rua in Castlebar has been named as the February Just Ask Restaurant of the Month award in association with Bord Bia and the Georgina Campbell Ireland Guide.
Just Ask is a Bord Bia campaign which aims to encourage consumers to look for information on where their food is coming from when eating out, and encourages chefs to provide this information on their menus.
Café Rua, owned by the McMahon family, has been sourcing the ingredients used in its delicious dishes from many of the same local suppliers for more than 10 years. In 2008 the family opened a second café and delicatessen, simply named RUA, which also benefits from ingredients sourced locally and allows customers to enjoy them at home as well as in the restaurant.
Speaking about Café Rua, Georgina Campbell said: “The McMahons clearly take pride in their association with local producers and other quality food suppliers throughout Ireland — in addition to crediting many of these on individual dishes, current certificates from suppliers of fresh poultry and meats including Western Brand in Ballyhaunis, McHale’s, Ketterich’s and Carolan’s of Castlebar and Kelly’s of Newport are on public display in the café, while older ones are moved into the kitchen.”
Speaking about the award, Aran McMahon said: “We’re only as good as the ingredients that come in to us, and thankfully we’re graced with some of the best suppliers in the country on our doorstep.”
