Days Bazaar team look forward to night at K Club

The team at Days Bazaar Cafe in Mullingar are looking forward to a night out at the Good Food Ireland Awards in The K Club, as they have been named as finalists this year.

Already the winners of several awards for their food and hospitality, Days Bazaar Cafe has been shortlisted in the Cafe of the Year category for what are widely considered the big ones – the Good Food Ireland Awards in association with FBD Insurance. It is the only cross-sector, food and drink awards that champion those who uphold Ireland’s culinary excellence, celebrate local provenance and honour sustainable practices.

Proprietor Brian Pierson said: “We’re honoured to be finalists for Cafe of the Year. It’s based on hitting the right criteria for Good Food Ireland, which is embedded in local produce – locally sourced foods and ingredients. For the likes of us, it’s award winning Pigs on the Green (free range pork), Pat Dempsey’s Jams, Kilbeggan Porridge, and the many other local suppliers we use.

“We are very proud that we offer home cooked style food, we make our own products, sausage rolls, for example, and use local suppliers as much as possible.”

The Good Food Ireland Awards have a rigorous process, and Brian says the dedication to local produce is central to that. The inspectors visit premises and go through them thoroughly from one end to the other; they sit down with management to analyse the paperwork so they are confident they know produce is actually local and dishes are actually made in the kitchen.

“That’s the basis of it,” said Brian, “and the staff, the local people, the characters in the room.”

The Good Food Ireland Awards take place in The K Club on Monday November 10.

The awards are judged by an independent panel of Irish and international experts through onsite mystery inspections and detailed assessments. The experts shortlist nominees and select winners based on strict criteria, which includes local sourcing, Irish provenance, and sustainability.