New award broadens search for Ireland’s best seafood experience

Directly extracted from Marine Times:

Irish seafood processors are being encouraged to nominate their foodservice customers for a new category at the Good Food Ireland Awards, which will take place in November 2026.

The ‘Best Irish Seafood Experience’ award has been introduced to recognise the growing number of restaurants and gastropubs serving Irish seafood on their menus. The category is sponsored by BIM as part of its Seafood Academy programme, which supports independent seafood retailers and foodservice businesses through skills development, knowledge sharing and business advisory services.

The initiative comes against a backdrop of continued growth in the domestic seafood market. According to the latest Business of Seafood report, published last week, domestic seafood sales exceeded €500 million in 2025, with the foodservice segment accounting for €200 million.

Paul Ward, Business Intelligence Manager at BIM, said that increased visibility of Irish seafood on menus plays a key role in strengthening consumer awareness of its provenance.

“Ireland is an island nation where no-one lives more than 100km from the sea, and we produce high-quality seafood along our entire coastline. This award is an opportunity to highlight the best of our local Irish seafood being served in restaurants and pubs, while also recognising the people who catch it or farm it,” he said.

Entries and nominations for the award open on Wednesday, 24 June 2026, and close on Monday, 27 July 2026. Public voting will take place between Wednesday, 19 August and Wednesday, 2 September 2026.

A shortlist of finalists will then be drawn up, with each venue undergoing an independent, on-site mystery inspection. The overall winner will be announced at the 20th anniversary Good Food Ireland® Gala Awards ceremony on Monday, 16 November 2026.

Further information and the criteria for the award is available here.