Ireland’s gold-standard food and hospitality champions were celebrated as the winners of the Georgina Campbell Irish Food & Hospitality Awards 2026 were announced at a gala lunch in Dublin recently, with six of the top awards going to Northern Ireland.
- Georgina Campbell Heritage Hotel of the Year 2026: The Bedford Hotel, Belfast.Bedford Hotel receiving their award from Georgina Campbell & Francis Brennan
- Georgina Campbell Family-Friendly Hotel of the Year 2026: Roe Valley Resort, Limavady, Co Derry
- Georgina Campbell Historic Destination 2026: 28 At The Hollow, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh
- Georgina Campbell Bakery-Café 2026: The Fold Bakehouse, Derry, Co Londonderry
- Georgina Campbell Traditional Pub of the Year 2026: Blakes of the Hollow, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh
- 2026 Georgina Campbell Neighbourhood Favourite: KIS Pizza & Coffee Bar, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh
Now in their fourth decade, these are the longest-running awards of their kind in Ireland. Established by food & hospitality writer Georgina Campbell, they recognise excellence across the country, with winners selected through independent, year-round assessments by a team of experts who book anonymously and pay their bills like any other guest. Businesses cannot enter themselves, ensuring the awards remain focused on genuine quality and hospitality.
Speaking at the awards, Georgina Campbell warned that the personal connection traditionally associated with Irish hospitality is under pressure as businesses increasingly turn to technology, automation and digital transactions.
“In many places we visited we could see how warm human interaction is being replaced by cold digital transactions,” said Georgina Campbell. “The very qualities that once defined good hospitality such as knowing a guest’s name, offering a cup of tea, or simply taking the time to have a conversation are becoming less common.”
Campbell recognised the enormous benefits that technology has brought to the industry, making businesses more efficient and helping staff manage information and operations, but stressed that there is a fundamental difference between efficiency and hospitality.
“Technology can make a business more efficient, but can it make a guest feel at home? Can an automated check-in desk make someone feel genuinely welcome? The answer, surely, is no,” said Georgina Campbell who added that the 2026 awards celebrate something that cannot be automated – the human touch.
“The timeless art of hospitality has never been more valuable, or more urgently needed,” she said. “Exceptional hospitality is about creating a connection and an experience that guests will remember and, importantly, tell others about.”
Campbell believes the pressure to maximise efficiency and control costs can sometimes come at the expense of the generosity and personal attention that make hospitality memorable. “There is a danger that the relentless pursuit of efficiency and cost control is squeezing the generosity out of the once legendary Irish hospitality experience,” she said. “Guests need to know that they matter enough for an establishment, regardless of size, to make the effort. That is at the heart of good hospitality.
” On the upside, it’s interesting to see the huge effort that people in some areas are making to welcome guests, not only to their own businesses but to their communities, and the results of that collaboration and generosity of spirit can bring enormous benefits to all. Inspired by some outstanding examples around the country, we decided to introduce two new awards in recognition: a Food Village award, which this year celebrates a community where an astonishing number of excellent food and hospitality businesses thrive almost within shouting distance of each other; and a Destination Region accolade, which goes to a larger area where visionary leadership and energy are creating an all-year destination with imaginative ideas to interest all ages, throughout the seasons.”
She said the businesses recognised in this year’s awards demonstrate the value of putting people first, with owners and managers who remain visible and engaged, and long-serving staff who remember names, preferences and the small details that make a stay or meal personal. “If I have one message, it’s this: put the guest back at the centre of hospitality. Look after the guest and the revenue will follow.”
Campbell also highlighted the growing strength of what she describes as “grown-up” everyday food; the seasonal, produce-led and fairly priced cooking increasingly found in pubs, neighbourhood restaurants, bakery-cafés and hotels around the country.
While Ireland has a growing number of outstanding fine-dining restaurants, she believes the country’s real strength lies in the breadth and quality of its mid-market offering.
“There’s a place for fine dining, and some do it exceptionally well in Ireland,” she said. “But our real strength is in the best mid-market offering, where committed, seasonal, produce-led chefs delight in creating the kind of wholesomely delicious and fairly priced meals with local flavour that we all love going back for, time and again.”
From independent bakery-cafés to pubs, neighbourhood restaurants and increasingly ambitious hotel restaurants, Campbell said these businesses are becoming some of Ireland’s most important hospitality jewels.
Despite the challenges facing the sector, Campbell believes the rapid growth of AI and automation have ironically created an opportunity for hospitality, by highlighting the value of skills that machines cannot replicate. “At a time when AI is changing so much of how we work and live, hospitality has an opportunity to offer young people rewarding careers they might not previously have considered.”
She also pointed to the increasingly holistic nature of Ireland’s tourism offering, with visitors looking for more meaningful experiences that connect them with local food producers, the environment, culture and communities. “Hospitality is much more than a room or a meal,” she said, adding that the strongest businesses are those that continue to evolve while retaining a clear sense of what makes them special.
“The Guide loves a work in progress,” she said. “What’s special about many of our award winners is that they love nothing better than reinventing themselves, time and again, decade after decade. That’s the magic.”
The prestigious awards ceremony also featured an engaging panel discussion with special guest Francis Brennan, exploring life after The Park. One of Ireland’s best-known hoteliers, Brennan echoed Campbell’s comments. “Exceptional customer service and generosity are not, and should not be, a nice-to-have; they are a necessity, building loyalty, creating unforgettable experiences, and serving as powerful differentiators in today’s competitive landscape,” he said. “When I read about Automatic Check In desks and AI bots my blood runs cold. I fear that the art of hospitality and creating genuine connections is fading. However, we are lucky to have so many wonderful, independently owned guest houses and small hotels that continue the tradition of being a true host and engaging with guests.
“These awards matter because they shine a light on the people and places setting the standard for excellence in hospitality. But they also inspire others to raise their own standards and remind us all of what great hospitality is really about,” he said.