LCN Awards 2019: Winners and finalists

LCN Awards 2019: Winners and finalists
Winner Paul Cunningham, Brunel’s Restaurant, Newcastle is pictured with category sponsor, Mark McClements of Calor.

Now in their 10th successful year, the Licensed & Catering News Gala Awards took place at The Europa Hotel in Belfast on the evening of June 7, when 19 awards were presented to recipients from across the hospitality and leisure sectors in Northern Ireland…

Hotel of the Year (up to 75 rooms)

Winner: Pictured is category sponsor, John Carr (left) from Costa Proud to Serve and David Morrison, Killyhevlin Lakeside Hotel and Lodges, Enniskillen with the award for Hotel of the Year (up to 75 rooms).

Finalists:
The finalists in this category were (from left) Adam Leonard, Marine Hotel, Ballycastle; Paula Keane, Ivanhoe Hotel, Carryduff; John Carr, sponsor and Ciaran O’Neill, Bishop’s Gate hotel, Derry-Londonderry.

Style Bar of the Year

Winner: Pictured is Andrew Schnell from category sponsor, Bibendum Wines; Zoe Watson of The Jailhouse in Belfast and Carolyn Sharp, also Bibendum Wines.

Finalist: Category sponsor, Andrew Schnell is shown with Nathan Evans, Mary’s Bar; Bronagh Hoynes, The Tipsy Bird, Belfast; Eugene Maguire, The Bank Bar, Newry and Carolyn Sharp, Bibendum Wines.

Outstanding Customer Service

Winner:
Pictured is Terry McCartney (left) of category sponsor, Tourism NI with winner, Karlo Taylor of The Chelsea, Belfast.

Finalists: Pictured are the finalists, Jody Waterworth, Pier 36, Donaghadee; Aileen Ryan, McHugh’s, Belfast; Brenda Courtney from sponsor, NI Visitors’ Journal; Trevor Orr, Harbour Inn, Annalong and Joseph Carolan, Sean Og’s, Omagh.

Newcomer of the Year

Winner Pictured is Stephen Meldrum (centre), Grand Central Hotel, Belfast with Wynn Penton, awards organiser and Steven Murphy of category sponsor, Old Carrick Mill Distillery.

Finalists
The finalists were Taroon Missry, Titanic Hotel, Belfast; Erica Lutzman, Lighthouse Bistro, Whitehead; Ben Sherwood, Wolf and Devour Burger Bar, Belfast; Wynn Penton, awards organiser; Stephen Murphy, category sponsor; Ryan Tinsley, The Jailhouse, Belfast; David Cummings, Pug Ugly’s, Belfast; Andrea Smyth, Panama, Belfast and Niamh Ledgewood, Helena’s Coffee Shop and Bistro, Maghera.

Outside Space of the Year

Winner
Mark Craig and Connor Martin of The Perch, Belfast with Gareth Rowell of category sponsor, BPJ Group.

Finalists
The finalists were Adam Stockman, The Ivory Restaurant, Belfast; Lyndsay McFall, Sleepy Hollow Restaurant, Newtownabbey’ Gareth Rowell, sponsor; Caroline Reynolds, Number Seven Duke Street, Warrenpoint and Peter Magill, Origin, Ballymena.

Bar Person of the Year

Winner
Stephen Dodds of McHugh’s in Belfast with Patrick Morgan of category sponsor, Bushmills Irish Whiskey.

Finalists
The finalists were Patrick Falls, The Points, Belfast; Colm Murray, Rita’s, Belfast; Patrick Morgan, category sponsor; Shane Baker, The Bridge Bar, Newry and Christy McNaughton, The Lurig Bar, Cushendall.

Entrepreneur of the Year

Winner:
Michael Flannigan from category sponsor, FEB Chartered Accountants is pictured with with Peter and Ben Ringland.

Community Bar of the Year

Winner:
From Curran’s Bar and Seafood Steakhouse, Ardglass is Peter Biju with Emily Kelly, Sinead Cavanagh and Ellen Sharvin from Q Radio; Pascal Kearney, Curran’s; Bill Penton, awards organiser; Jessica Sharvin, Q Radio and Stephen Jenish, Curran’s.

Finalists: The finalists were Johnny Cooper, The Morning Star, Belfast; Judith McCreanor, The Taphouse Bar and Restaurant, Bellaghy; Pamela Richardson, Richardson’s Bar, Tobermore; Erin McCullough, The Albany, Belfast; Aoife McGrath, The Taphouse Bar and Restaurant; Sinead Cavanagh, Q Radio; Gabriel Keown, The Riverside Bar, Garrison; Joseph Carolan, Sean Og’s, Omagh; Gerry McDowell, McLarnon’s Ramble Inn, Antrim; Lyle Richardson, Richardson’s Bar, Tobermore and Emma Cunningham, Head O The Road, Portadown.

Hotel of the Year (more than 75 rooms)

Winner:
Andrew Spratt from category sponsor, A&L Goodbody is pictured with with Aaron Logan, Galgorm Spa and Golf Resort, Ballymena.

Finalists
The finalists were Taroon Missry, Titanic Hotel, Belfast; Lauren Hudson, Fitzwilliam Hotel, Belfast; Amy Maguire, City Hotel, Derry-Londonderry; Andrew Spratt, category sponsor; Scott Weatherup and Phil McCartan, Stormont Hotel, Belfast.

Pub Food of the Year

Winner
Richard Hunter, John McConnell and Paul Dalrymple are pictured with category sponsor, Madeline Creaney of Linencare.

Finalists
The finalists were Sam McFadden, Head O The Road, Portadown; Stephen Law, McLarnon’s Ramble Inn, Antrim; Catriona Friel, Friel’s Bar and Restaurant, Swatragh; Madeline Creaney, category sponsor; Keith Patterson, The Morning Star and Helen Geneit, The Courthouse Bar, Lurgan.

Mixologist of the Year

Winner:
Seamus Og Birt, Me & Mrs Jones, Portstewart is pictured with category sponsor, Mark Troughton of Troughton’s Premium Mixers.

Finalists:
The finalists were Hannah Ferris, Sagart Kitchen and Bar, Belfast; Jonathan Waterworth, The Goat’s Toe, Bangor; Mark Troughton, category sponsor and Roisin McErlean, The Tipsy Bird, Belfast.

Fish and Chip Shop of the Year

Winner Stuart and Nicola Frew of Frew’s Fish and Chips in Ahoghill, Co. Antrim with Ivan Bond of category sponsor, McWhinney’s Sausages.

Finalists
Finalists were Ciaran Hughes, Fiships, Camlough; Emma McNally, PG Chips, Cookstown; Aaron McCorkell, Chequers Riverside, Coleraine; Ivan Bond, category sponsor; David McKelvey, The Friary, Carrickfergus and Katrina Fox and Gareth Montgomery, Chipmongers, Ballymena.

Restaurant of the Year

Winner
Pictured are Alan Slater, of category sponsor, Lynas Foodservice; David Gillmore, James Street in Belfast and Bill Penton, awards organiser.

Finalists The finalists were Nicola McClarnon, Saphyre, Belfast; Richard Brown, Grand Central Hotel, Belfast; Gary Laird, Vanilla wine & Tapas , Newcastle; Fiona Davey, Brunel’s, Newcastle; Alan Slater, category sponsor; Stephen Jenis, Curran’s Seafood Steakhouse, Ardglass; Beth McAvoy, Whistledown Hotel, Warrenpoint and Shane Gibson, The River Room, Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort.

Nightclub of the Year

Winner
Pictured are Peter McGill and Mark McIlrath of Origin, Ballymena and category sponsor, Barry Phillips of Enva.

Finalists
The finalists were Patrick Fegan, 14, Belfast; Glen McShane, Cobbles, Newry; Barry Phillips, category sponsor and Paige Morgan, Voodoo, Belfast.

Pub of the Year

Winner Pictured are Connor Magill from category sponsor, Tennents NI; Stuart Hughes, The Stillhouse, Moira and Julie Ozturk of LCN magazine.

Finalists
The finalists were Gareth McGuinness, The Courthouse, Lurgan; Julie Ozturk, LCN magazine; Nathan Evans, Dorman’s Bar, Magherafelt; Connor Magill, category sponsor; Kerri McCanny, Pat’s Bar, Enniskillen; Tomas Loughran, The Bridge Bar, Newry and Sophie McCloy, Head O The Road, Portadown and Eugene and Carol McKenna of The Grouse in Ballymena.

Café/Bistro of the Year

Winner
Pictured are John Cunningham, Emma Fowler and Andrea Ross from Sugarcane Café Bistro in Comber with Claudia Jones of category sponsor, Quorn.

Finalists The finalists are Geraldine McNulty, Camocha, Camlough; Russell Hayden, The Ivanhoe, Carryduff; Morgan Stubbings, Katch 27, Kircubbin; Claudia Jones, category sponsor; Adam Stockton, The Ivory Champagne and Café Bar, Belfast and Felipe Sanchez, the Ava Winebar and Bistro, Bangor.

Chef of the Year

Winner Paul Cunningham, Brunel’s Restaurant, Newcastle is pictured with category sponsor, Mark McClements of Calor.

Finalists
The finalists were Cameron Carter, The Wheathill, Bangor; Paul Dalrymple, Billy Andy’s, Larne; Mark McClements, category sponsor; Trevor Orr, The Harbour Inn, Annalong and Jonathan Boyd, Saphyre, Belfast.

LCN Lifetime Achievement Award

Veteran hotelier, Patsy O’Kane, former owner of the Beech Hill hotel in Derry-Londonderry is pictured with her award. Included are Bill Penton, awards organiser, Meagan Green and Gareth Devlin from category sponsor, Coca-Cola.

Tourist Pub of the Year

Catriona Friel of Friel’s Bar and Restaurant, Swatragh with Brenda Courtney of category sponsor, NI Visitors’ Journal.

Pictured are the finalists, Jody Waterworth, Pier 36, Donaghadee; Aileen Ryan, McHugh’s, Belfast; Brenda Courtney from sponsor, NI Visitors’ Journal; Trevor Orr, Harbour Inn, Annalong and Joseph Carolan, Sean Og’s, Omagh.