We’ll find out later today if there are local wins in the Food & Wine Awards.
The Lady Helen at Mount Juliet in Thomastown leads the charge for Kilkenny making four of the shortlists for Leinster.
It’s bidding to be named Best Restaurant, where it’s up against Kilkenny city spot Campagne while they’ve a second face-off in the Best Chef category with John Kelly and Garret Byrne both contenders alongside Arán’s Nicole Server-Pawlukojc.
The latter too is in the running for Best Casual Dining.
Added to that, The Lady Helen is among those listed for Hotel Restaurant of the Year and also for Best Wine Experience, where it meets Ristorante Rinuccini.
Winners are set to be revealed later today.
It comes ahead of tomorrow’s announcement of the Good Food Ireland Awards for which a number of businesses across Kilkenny and Carlow are also in contention.
