Exclusive: Restaurant Awards hit by boycott and protest

14th June 2010, 7:58am

Ireland's restaurant awards suffered a double blow last week (Wed) – a boycott by one of the stars of the sector and a picket by staff protesting over proposed pay cuts.

Oliver Dunne, the Michelin-starred head chef  of Dublin's Bon Appetit restaurant, stayed away from the black-tie ceremony in protest over changes in the judging system. This year, for the first time, the traditional judging panel could award only 30% of the marks, with another 30% to be decided by 'mystery diners' and 30% by the public. The remaining 10% was awarded for menu.

 Dunne, who had been nominated in best chef category, complained that the Restaurants' Association of Ireland (RAI), which organised the awards, had been "bombarding" restaurateurs with text messages and emails on how to woo the public vote. This meant, he said, that restaurants with the biggest customer data base had a , better change of winning, and robbed the awards of their integrity.
 
 "If you're nominated for something, it should be based on your ability, not on begging people to vote for you. I for one have had enough and I'm bowing out." However, Adrian Cummins, chief executive of the RAI, defended the decision to include a 'public vote' element in the judging. "It's all about trying to get people to come out and support their local restaurant," he said.

 Seven hundred guests who attended the awards ceremony in Dublin's Burlington Hotel had to brave a picket by restaurant workers. They were protesting over RAI demands for a reduction in the Irish national minimum wage and the abolition of joint labour committees that set pay levels and working conditions for the sector. A spokeswoman for the protestors said restaurant workers earned an average of  €20,000 a year and the RAI proposals, if conceded, would reduce that by a fifth.

 In an address at the ceremony, RAI president Paul Cadden said restaurants and chefs were "the economic engine rooms" in every town in Ireland, creating and maintaining much needed employment. "Our industry," he added, " has annual sales of over €2bn and employs 64,000 people."
 
 Best restaurant award went to Dublin's Chapter One, its third win in five years. Other award winners were: Best chef, Danny Millar, Balloo House, County Down; best celebrity chef, Neven Maguire, MacNean House and Restaurant, County Cavan; best casual dining, La Cucina, County Limerick; best ethnic restaurant, Rasam, County Dublin; best hotel restaurant, Knockranny House, County Mayo.

Reporting from Anthony Garvey.

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