SME Company of the Year Award

Goes to

Roughty Foodie, The English Market

Chosen as a business that is synonymous with Cork and The English Market. The Roughty Foodie story is a love story of Irish produced foods by small family businesses! Roughty Foodie began life as a small stall in the English Market in 1960. Eleven years ago, the business was reinvented through a love of Irish food produced by small Irish businesses.

Expanding to a second stall, Roughty’s Little Sister, the company created a new web page and branched out into selling flowers in the summer time, together with local fruits, cheeses and chutneys, not to mention honey and all things chocolatey!

The SME Company of the Year Award is presented by Peninsula Business Services Ireland

Large Company of the Year Award

goes to the

Trigon Hotels

Chosen for their wonderful ethos of building a strong and committed team through family-friendly policies together with the impeccable execution of inclusion & diversity strategies that are fast becoming a model to which other businesses can aspire.  

Operating three iconic hotels across Cork, The Metropole Hotel MacCurtain Street, Cork International Hotel and Cork Airport Hotel, Trigon Hotels are passionate about creating a team of committed and dedicated employees who deliver world class service and experiences to their guests across their hotels. The company is also passionate about giving back to their local communities through a variety of CSR initiatives and are dedicated to sustainability across their entire operation.

The Large Company of the Year Award is presented by JCD Group represented by John Cleary.

Best in Retail Award goes to

Leader’s Menswear

Nominees were Leader’s Menswear, Interiosity, Douglas and Roughty Foodie.

Leader’s Menswear firmly believe that everyone should feel confident and comfortable in their clothing and shouldn’t have to compromise their style due to sizing restrictions. They consciously aim to provide their plus size customers with a broad range of options so they can express themselves through their appearance, always looking and feeling their best.

The Best in Retail Award is sponsored by Cork City Council represented by Ann Doherty

Best Cork Hotel Award goes to the

The Kingsley Hotel      

Nominees were The Metropole Hotel, The Kingsley Hotel, Cork’s Vienna Woods Hotel

Polished and sophisticated, The Kingsley is a luxury 4-star hotel located just a stone’s throw from Cork City. Set in a stylish and distinctive location on the banks of the River Lee, The Kingsley boasts 131 elegant spacious guest rooms, each of which exude a sense of modernity with a hint of old-world luxury. An oasis in the heart of Cork, The Kingsley offers guests a truly tranquil haven.

The Best Cork Hotel Award is sponsored by IHF Cork Branch represented by Joe Kennedy.

Best in Tourism, Arts and Events Award goes to

IMART

International Mixed-Ability Rugby Tournament

Nominees were Cork on a Fork Festival, IMART, The Everyman

IMART took place in Cork in June 2022 and brought an estimated €1.7m to the local economy, as well as welcoming 1,100 players, 650 volunteers and 25,000 spectators to Cork, with 28 men’s and women’s teams from 15 nations taking part. In the words of one participant, “IMART IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GROW THE CULTURE OF INCLUSION THROUGH THE VALUES OF SPORT.”

The Best in Tourism, Arts and Events Award is sponsored by Ireland’s Ancient East represented by Deirdre Cole

Best New Business Award goes to

Cork Harbour Cruises

Nominees were Cork Harbour Cruises, Greenwich Cafe, Golden Bites Food Co.

Established in Summer 2021 Cork Harbour Cruises showcase the beautiful and historical locations around Cork Harbour and Crosshaven from the water, on board the Cailin Or. On the scheduled 2.5 hour day cruises, evening cruises, private tours and corporate clients can embark on a guided historical journey through Cork’s maritime past and present.

The Best New Business Award is sponsored by the Local Enterprise Office represented by Dr. Niall O’Keeffe.

Best Family Business Award goes to

The Chicken Inn

Nominees were The Chicken Inn, Maher’s Pure Coffee, T&A Civil Engineering

Established in 1955 by John Lane, The Chicken Inn expanded over the years supplying local restaurants & Cork's growing hospitality sector. They have since expanded their customer base by providing cooked poultry, ham, and spiced beef to various restaurants and event caterers winning two Blas na hEireann awards in 2018. During Covid-19, The Chicken Inn launched it’s Poultry-in-Motion delivery service and it’s very first website.

The Best Family Business Award is sponsored by AIB represented by Noreen Walsh.

Best in Digital Award goes to

homehak.com

Nominees were Babelfis, Dyjaho & HomeHak.com

HomeHak is revolutionising the home rental market, providing a fresh and unique approach to renting homes that emphasises people over properties. Think of it as a LinkedIn for home renting - one where homeseekers post their Tenant CVs so landlords and letting agents can make informed decisions on who will benefit most from living in their property. The innovative Cork-based start-up welcomed over 5,200 new members in its first year.

The Best in Digital Award is sponsored by Cork Airport represented by Barry Holland.

Best Cork Restaurant Award goes to

Rare @ The Blue Haven, Kinsale

Nominees were Terre @ CastleMartyr, Rare 1784@ The Blue Haven, Kinsale, Nell’s Wine Bar

Rare 1784 is the exciting Fine Dining experience at The Blue Haven Hotel. Diners can expect an unique culinary journey from arrival until departure. Head Chef Meeran Manzoor brings his culinary expertise from all corners of the world to the highlight of his career as he juxtaposes and plays with everything that’s classical and also current about food. A culinary odyssey in the heart of Kinsale.

The Best Cork Restaurant Award is sponsored by the English Market represented by Brendan Walsh.

Sustainable Business Innovation Award goes

Ballymaloe House

Nominees were Ballymaloe House, The Imperial Hotel and Salvagem

In 1984 Ballymaloe purchased their first Biomass straw boiler & they has not used fossil fuels since. The farm produces straw bales for their recently updated biomass boiler and provides the house, shop, café, events venue with fuel for heat & hot water.  In 2004 the Ballymaloe farm planted 5,300 trees on the estate, now equating to over 1,000 tonnes of carbon stored. The farm also installed 147Kw of PV solar panels in 2021, making Ballymaloe House independent of the ESB national grid, when the sun shines!

The Sustainable Business Innovation Award is sponsored by Cork Business Association.

Best Cork Café Award goes to

SOMA Coffee Co

Nominees were The Bookshelf, SOMA Coffee Co. Yumm Cafe

Soma Coffee Company is a specialty coffee roaster and retailer based in Cork, Ireland. Founded in 2017, the company quickly established a strong presence in the city, opening it first coffee shop and roastery in Tuckey street and in 2020 the second coffee shop in Anglesea street. Through its commitment to sourcing high-quality beans and carefully roasting them in its commercial roastery, together with its focus on customer service, Soma has earned a reputation for offering some of the best coffee in Ireland.

The Best Cork Café Award is sponsored by the English Market represented by Brendan Walsh.

Best Cork VFI pub Award goes to

Barry’s of Douglas

Nominees were Barry’s of Douglas , J.J. Walsh’s and The Castle Inn.

Barry’s of Douglas is a family run business located in the heart of the Douglas community. The family have a long and proud tradition of serving and supporting the community. Barry’s of Douglas is now seen as offering the best of both worlds; a modern gastropub serving fresh locally sourced ingredients across breakfast, lunch and dinner, while retaining the charm of a community pub offering a warm, friendly, and safe environment with employees that will go the extra mile to exceed customers expectations.

The Best Cork VFI Pub Award is sponsored by the VFI Cork represented by Michael O’Donovan.

Best Professional Business Services Award goes to

ERA Downey McCarthy

Nominees were 3B1, ERA Downey McCarthy & MC2 Accountants

ERA Downey McCarthy earns customers and clients for life by providing unparalleled service with the highest level of integrity, expertise & professionalism. They provide expert services and advice in all areas of Residential Sales, Commercial Sales, Property Valuations, Lettings & Property Management, Block Management and Financial Services. Over 90% of our clients state that honesty is the most important factor when choosing an auctioneer and this is guaranteed with ERA.

The Best Professional Business Services Award is sponsored by B2B Signs & B2B Print represented by Katelyn Scanlon and Cian Aherne 

The Champion of Cork award for 2023 goes to

Manus O’Callaghan

Manus O’Callaghan was named Champion of Cork for his unwavering dedication over the past 30 years to promoting Cork and its citizens through the Cork Person of the Month & Cork Person of the Year Awards

Through these awards, Manus has ensured that many of Cork’s citizens have been recognised for their unique contributions and achievements, while he himself rarely, if ever, receives the acknowledgement that he so richly deserves. A true Champion of Cork….Manus O’Callaghan.

The Champion of Cork Award is sponsored by the Munster Technological University and presented by MTU President Prof. Maggie Cusack.