Spud-tastic - Mighty Spud Champions 2016 Crowned
From hundreds of entries in the inaugural Mighty Spud Awards 2016,
the top honour of 'mightiest' potato dishes in Northern Ireland are announced.
Northern Ireland is known for its top quality food but in the final four winners stood out for their mighty taste, quality and ability
to push the boundaries when it comes to the humble spud. The
Mightiest Chip in Northern Ireland was awarded to Mortons,
Ballycastle who were a standout in the category, The Hillside
Bistro, Hillsborough won Mightiest Mash, Tony and Jen's, Belfast
picked up the accolade for Mightiest Healthy Potato Dish and The
Yellow Door, Portadown is honoured with serving the Mightiest
Innovative Potato dish in the province.
Launched in January, the public were called upon to nominate restaurants, takeaways and pubs in Northern Ireland that should be recognised for their culinary expertise when it comes to the 'spud'.
The entries were shortlisted by a judging panel made up of Chef
Paula McIntyre, Michele Shirlow (Food NI), Michael McKillop
(Glen's of Antrim Potatoes) and Angus Wilson (Wilson's Country
Potatoes) who then visited venues across Northern Ireland for a weekof tasting before selecting the winners.
Head Judge and Chef Paula McIntyre said of the awards and the
winners for 2016:
"Firstly I would like to congratulate the four winners for their
award winning creations. Personally I am a huge fan of the potato - for me it is one of life's simple pleasures. But it was amazing to
see the innovation and energy that the finalists brought to the
table and how the winners transformed the humble spud into four
very different, but equally, mighty tasting potato dishes.
"It wasn't an easy job shortlisting the hundreds of nominations
entered and we had some really tough decisions to make. One thing isfor sure - people in Northern Ireland are passionate about the
potato!" continued Paula.
Commenting on the awards, Ivor Ferguson, UFU Deputy President and
chair of the NI Stakeholder Potato Promotion Group said:
"We are totally overwhelmed by the positive response from people
across Northern Ireland to the Mighty Spud movement. The awards are part of an ongoing campaign to support the Northern Ireland potato
industry, and what better way to do that than showcase the culinary talent that exists in Northern Ireland. The spud is more than just abit on the side - each of the winning dishes are mighty in their
own right.
"Too often we forget about the nutritious value of simple local
foods such as the potato. It is hoped the Mighty Spud Awards will
raise the profile of the potato, highlight the endless ways it can
be cooked and re-establish its position as a mealtime must-have.
After this year's success were already excited about what next year will bring," said Mr Ferguson.
Visit www.themightyspud.com to learn more about the winning venues, their award worthy dishes and The Mighty Spud campaign. Join the
conversation on Twitter @MightyNotHumble
the top honour of 'mightiest' potato dishes in Northern Ireland are announced.
Northern Ireland is known for its top quality food but in the final four winners stood out for their mighty taste, quality and ability
to push the boundaries when it comes to the humble spud. The
Mightiest Chip in Northern Ireland was awarded to Mortons,
Ballycastle who were a standout in the category, The Hillside
Bistro, Hillsborough won Mightiest Mash, Tony and Jen's, Belfast
picked up the accolade for Mightiest Healthy Potato Dish and The
Yellow Door, Portadown is honoured with serving the Mightiest
Innovative Potato dish in the province.
Launched in January, the public were called upon to nominate restaurants, takeaways and pubs in Northern Ireland that should be recognised for their culinary expertise when it comes to the 'spud'.
The entries were shortlisted by a judging panel made up of Chef
Paula McIntyre, Michele Shirlow (Food NI), Michael McKillop
(Glen's of Antrim Potatoes) and Angus Wilson (Wilson's Country
Potatoes) who then visited venues across Northern Ireland for a weekof tasting before selecting the winners.
Head Judge and Chef Paula McIntyre said of the awards and the
winners for 2016:
"Firstly I would like to congratulate the four winners for their
award winning creations. Personally I am a huge fan of the potato - for me it is one of life's simple pleasures. But it was amazing to
see the innovation and energy that the finalists brought to the
table and how the winners transformed the humble spud into four
very different, but equally, mighty tasting potato dishes.
"It wasn't an easy job shortlisting the hundreds of nominations
entered and we had some really tough decisions to make. One thing isfor sure - people in Northern Ireland are passionate about the
potato!" continued Paula.
Commenting on the awards, Ivor Ferguson, UFU Deputy President and
chair of the NI Stakeholder Potato Promotion Group said:
"We are totally overwhelmed by the positive response from people
across Northern Ireland to the Mighty Spud movement. The awards are part of an ongoing campaign to support the Northern Ireland potato
industry, and what better way to do that than showcase the culinary talent that exists in Northern Ireland. The spud is more than just abit on the side - each of the winning dishes are mighty in their
own right.
"Too often we forget about the nutritious value of simple local
foods such as the potato. It is hoped the Mighty Spud Awards will
raise the profile of the potato, highlight the endless ways it can
be cooked and re-establish its position as a mealtime must-have.
After this year's success were already excited about what next year will bring," said Mr Ferguson.
Visit www.themightyspud.com to learn more about the winning venues, their award worthy dishes and The Mighty Spud campaign. Join the
conversation on Twitter @MightyNotHumble