The Restaurants Association of Ireland has named West Cork as the winner of Foodie Destinations 2017.
The announcement was made at an event held in the Headfort Arms Hotel yesterday evening (29 August).
The decision to bestow West Cork with the award came after several weeks of applications, regional judging visits and online balloting, which saw the region receive over 10,000 votes.
Events and programmes such as the annual Taste of West Cork Food Festival and Cork Character Cafés, as well as the pride and passion that West Cork food producers and retailers were found to have for their products, were among the key contributors to the region's win.
The 2016 winner, Boyne Valley, came in second this year, with Kilkenny, Kinsale and West Waterford, respectively, rounding out the top five.
Restaurants Association of Ireland CEO Adrian Cummins, commented: "As food tourism grows in popularity, it is great to see so many places putting local food at the forefront of the visitor experience and, like West Cork, enhancing their offering year on year. I would like to congratulate West Cork as winners of the 2017 Foodie Destinations award which is sure to further boost their profile as an outstanding food destination."
