Co Down restaurant up for another prestigious accolade
Wine & Brine in Moira, currently the UK’s official best local restaurant, is up for another prestigious foodie gong, the Catey Awards.
The Co Down restaurant, run by chef Chris McGowan and his wife Davina, which claims the 2017 best local restaurant title courtesy of the Waitrose Good Food Guide, has been shortlisted for The Caterer’s menu of the year award.
So far it is the only Northern Ireland establishment among the five other shortlisted restaurants, with its competitors so far concentrated in Great Britain.
Noble Rot, Galvin HOP and Som Saa, all in London, join Swan Wine Kitchen in Tenterden, Kent, and Askham Hall in Cumbria are the others vying for the title.
Six places are still available in the final list of 12 restaurants to be shortlisted in the awards which are sponsored by Quorn.
The competing restaurants, whose menus have featured in The Caterer: Catering and Hospitality News, throughout 2016, have to be filled by May with judging taking place on July 4.
The McGowans’ menu was chosen after being judged on innovation and creativity, use of seasonal produce and the marriage of textures and flavours, as well as value for money.
The shortlisting follows the Good Food best local restaurant accolade and its recent win of an illustrious Michelin Bib Gourmand.
The McGowans have scaled such heights after Chris spend 20 years in London learning from the best in the field including Bruno Loubet, Gary Rhodes, Pierre Koffmann and Richard Corrigan.
He then returned home, and with the added value of Davina’s business acumen, set up their popular Moira culinary gem in late 2015.
For his coveted place on the shortlisted eateries Chris serves menus dictated by his particular brand of cooking – featuring pickling, brining and fermenting – and what is available seasonally.
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