Waterford has been announced as the winner of Foodie Destinations 2019, an initiative run the Restaurants Association of Ireland .

Waterford was announced as the winner of the competition at a ceremony in Mount Juliet, in Kilkenny.

Votes from the public were combined with a score from a judging visit to decide the overall winner.     Taste Causeway came in second place, and The Food Coast Donegal came in third place.

Speaking about the entry from Waterford, the judges said that they were blown away by how much effort the community had put in to making Waterford a real foodie experience. They said there was a great sense of community evident on their visit, with both big and small local companies getting involved. There was great local awareness, as well as pride and passion, for food and food tourism in the area. They enjoyed seeing chefs and producers working so closely together to provide the best experience possible for visitors to the area.

Donegal Town were also announced as the winning Foodie Town 2019. The Foodie Town Award is given to towns or villages where Tourism is a primary component of the local culture and economy.

Speaking at the ceremony, CEO of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, Adrian Cummins said “I’d like to offer a massive congratulations to Waterford. It’s clear that a huge amount of time and effort has gone into making it a foodie destination worth visiting and it is clear that it is a very co-ordinated effort run by people who are passionate about food in Waterford. I’d also like to congratulate the other finalists: it’s not easy to get this far, and all of the applications were very impressive. Each and every finalist should be very proud of getting so far.”

Patrick Carey, Business Development Manager in FBD Insurance said, “FBD Insurance are once again proud to sponsor the Foodie Destinations Award in 2019. The spirit of the Irish agri-food business is thriving and we are delighted to be associated with an event that nurtures, supports and champions the stellar work and high quality food that is produced from local, Irish communities and businesses.