“The Award That’s All About You – And the Places You Love”

Everything You Need to Know About the Good Food Ireland® Food Lovers Choice Award 2025

At Good Food Ireland®, we’ve always believed that the heart of Ireland’s food and drink culture isn’t just what’s on the plate, it’s the people behind it and the people who support it. That’s why the Food Lovers Choice Award 2025 is back, and this time, it’s all about you.

What Is the Food Lovers Choice Award?
The Good Food Ireland® Food Lovers Choice Award is one of the most respected public-voted accolades in Ireland’s food and hospitality scene. It honours the incredible businesses, big and small, that go the extra mile to:

• Source ingredients locally
• Care for the environment
• Treat people and animals ethically
• Innovate responsibly
• Support their community

But above all, it celebrates the connection between these businesses and you – the customer. This award is not just about excellence; it’s about appreciation. About recognising how your favourite places make your everyday life a little more special and a lot more delicious.

Who Can Enter and Who Can You Nominate?

This year, it’s not just about voting you can nominate your favourites too.
Any food or drink business on the island of Ireland that lives by the Good Food Ireland® ethos can be nominated or apply, even if they’re not part of the official Good Food Ireland® Collection. That includes:

• Food producers and farmers
• Fisheries and food manufacturers
• Food trucks and retailers
• Breweries, distilleries and pubs
• Cafés and restaurants
• Cookery schools and hotels
• Guesthouses and other accommodation providers

If they’re championing sustainability, quality and local food and drink values they deserve a shot. And you can help make that happen.

How It Works

Nominations & Applications Open:
June 23 – July 28, 2025
Businesses can apply and customers can nominate them online during this period. (Online Application/Nomination Form will be available here soon.)

Public Voting Opens:
September 1 – 15, 2025
Once the entries are in, all nominees will be listed for public voting through a new online voting form.

Celebrating Local Legends, Region by Region

To make sure your local favourites get the recognition they deserve, the Food Lovers Choice Award is divided into five regional categories:

• Wild Atlantic Way (Donegal, Sligo, Mayo, West Galway, West Clare, West Limerick, Kerry, West Cork)
• Ireland’s Ancient East (East Cork, Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny, Carlow, Wicklow, Laois, Kildare, Meath, Louth, Monaghan, Tipperary South)
• Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands (East Limerick, North Tipperary, East Clare, East Galway, Offaly, Westmeath, Longford, Roscommon, Leitrim, Cavan, Longford)
• Dublin
• Northern Ireland (Armagh, Down, Antrim, Derry, Tyrone, Fermanagh)
• This way, we can shine a light on the food heroes in every corner of the island – from coastal kitchens to country inns.

Winners Revealed at the Gala Awards

The winners of each regional category will be honoured at the Good Food Ireland® Awards Gala Ceremony on Monday night, November 10th, 2025, at the prestigious K Club, Co. Kildare. This much-anticipated event brings together Ireland’s most passionate and pioneering

food and drink professionals for a night of recognition, celebration and connection.

Why This Award Matters

Yes, it’s about food. But it’s also about much more. The Food Lovers Choice Award is about celebrating the people behind the counter, in the fields, at the stove or behind the scenes, those who pour their passion into every product and every experience. And it’s about you the customer whose support keeps them going.

By nominating and voting you’re not just helping someone win an award. You’re helping tell the story of Irish food culture, one that’s ethical, sustainable, community-driven and bursting with flavour.

Get Involved

Apply or Nominate: June 23 – July 28, 2025
Vote Online: September 1 – 15, 2025
Awards Gala: Monday night, November 10, 2025 | The K Club, Co. Kildare

This is your chance to celebrate the places you love – and the people who make them special.
So go on, nominate your local food hero. Let’s make sure the whole country knows just how great they are.