What A Lovely Lunch!

Georgina Campbell gives a hearty shout-out to the team who created a memorable meal for our recent Irish Food and Hospitality Awards – carefully cooked and special without being over-dressed, the exceptional ingredients were happily allowed to retain their starring roles centre stage

Get-togethers can be memorable for all kinds of reasons, but how often does outstanding food linger in the mind after a big event?

Very rarely, if ever, is the honest answer, so the seriously delicious meal created by Euro-Toques chef Alberto Rossi and his team at the InterContinental Dublin Hotel for our 2025 Irish Food & Hospitality Awards, on 30th September, deserves a big shout out.

With easy parking, a great GM in the ever-amiable yet super-efficient form of Nicky Logue (seen here with special guest John Brennan), and an outstanding events team to make everything run like clockwork, this wonderfully spacious hotel has been our go-to awards venue since way back when. And, while the awards are of course the main focus – and my, do we have some inspirational winners to celebrate every time – the lunch menu always reflects the independent ethos of the Guide and, especially, highlights the food and drink producers whose awards lead off the proceedings and lay the foundation for everything that follows.

Once the awards list is finalised each year the most exciting bit begins, as Alberto liaises with the Guide to create a menu to showcase their products, which the hotel then purchases from them for the event. This has been the pattern for many years now and it is always special, but this year something extra magic happened and I can honestly say that I’ve never experienced a meal at a big event, private or professional, where everything came together so well to highlight the individuality of each product. And, in case you’re wondering, this isn’t just a warm glow of pleasure from a happy host, as so many guests commented on it too – and the compliments are still coming in.

So what were the ingredients at the heart of this delicious culinary alchemy?

Well it started with the drinks reception, when Ireland’s largest wine producer Fairy Trees Winery showcased their delicious Irish Sparkling Wine, and Richmount Cordial Company  offered a refreshings non-alcoholic Sparkling Elderflower alternative, plus tastings of their Elderflower Liqueur - and produce from Castleruddery Organic Farm began the food magic in canapés of Pumpkin and Sage Arancini, Turnip Fritters, Red and Golden Beetroot Cornetti.

On to the main event, where Darragh McCullough’s beautiful seasonal arrangements from the huge range grown on his Elmgrove Irish Flower Farm in Co Meath stole the show on every table - and left many asking why we buy so many imported flowers…

And, while goat cheese tarts may be offered as starters on every other menu these days, this was something different. What a stroke of genius to forget about pastry and create a flavoursome base of the winning brown bread from The Mustard Seed for the creamy and perfectly balanced St. Tola Goat’s Cheese Custard Tart with Figs & Castleruddery Organic Farm Salad which was pretty as a picture too, and with every ingredient coming through as an individual flavour.

Then the main course brought another great idea, with the popular Wellington concept re-worked to great effect in Andarl Farm Velvet Pork Wellington. With its Mushroom Duxelle, Killruddery Spinach and light, perfectly cooked Puff Pastry to keep it moist and seal in the exceptional flavours, this was a real treat - as were the accompanying Castleruddery Organic Farm Rainbow Chard & Cavolo Nero and Whipped Killruddery Potatoes. Every wholesome mouthful was a pleasure, and how good to see vegetables treated with such respect and palpable joy.

And so to dessert, and the commendably seasonal Killiane Castle Honey and Apple Tart Richmount Irish Elderflower Marshmallow, Vanilla Gloun Cross Dairy Cream was yet another revelation. Here, especially, the distinctive flavours were a wonderful surprise. The taste of place in the Wexford honey, the unique flavour of the creamy Gloun Cross Dairy cream – who would have imagined that each could come through so distinctively at this stage of a meal, and what fun they must have had in the kitchen with the Richmount Irish Elderflower Liqueur Marshmallow!

And - with the Brabazon Blend Coffee (specially blended for Killruddery by local artisan roasters McCabe’s ) and irresistible Butlers x Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin Truffles Shed Distillery Butlers Chocolates still to come - it was a taste sensation to the end.

Great credit is due to all involved for this hugely enjoyable meal, with its skilful (but never over-worked) cooking of superb ingredients that were always allowed to remain the stars of the show. Bravo!