AND THE WINNERS ARE...

CORK BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD

LARGE CATEGORY - SoHo Bar Group

Chosen for their wonderful ethos of building a network strongly-branded hospitality businesses that add significantly to the diversity of socialising options in Cork. Taking previously derelict or abandoned premises and rebuilding significant hospitality outlets to re-establish strong footfall in the immediate vicinity, bringing economic activity to many other surrounding businesses.  Their innovative approach to outdoor dining by installing specialised Domes at their Tequila Jacks premises, has really added to the vibrancy of the Lapps Quay area.

The Large Company of the Year Award is presented by JCD Group represented by Mark Deveraux.

SME CATEGORY - Sheena's Boutique

Chosen as a business that is synonymous with Cork and Oliver Plunkett Street. Sheena's have been a leading fashion retailer for over 40 years and have established a broad business-base that successfully brings lots of shoppers into the City from Cork County and beyond. During the Covid-19 pandemic, they successfully pivoted their business online with the creation of a very user-friendly website and video shopping consultations so that they could stay connected with their customers and have successfully managed to not only retain old customers, but gain a whole new generation of fashion-forward clients as a result.

The SME Company of the Year Award is presented by Peninsula Business Services Ireland, represented by COO Moira Grassick

BEST IN RETAIL - Pinocchio's Toy Shop

 

Nominees were Pinocchio’s, Sheena’s Boutique and Roughty Foodie.

Located on Paul Street for almost forty years, Pinocchio’s is a destination for tourists and locals alike and the shop adds immeasurably to the individuality of Cork. As a retail outlet, it is unique, stocking toys that are ethically produced and designed to last more than a lifetime and offer a customer service experience to match.

The Best in Retail Award is sponsored by Cork City Council represented by Ann Doherty

BEST HOTEL - The Imperial Hotel

BEST NEW BUSINESS - Moody Cafe Vin

Nominees were Moody Café Vin, The Glasshouse @ The Montenotte Hotel, Flowers by To Have and To Hold

The main goal of Moody Café is to deliver a different experience on every level - “We wanted to feed your belly, your eyes, your ears and mainly your heart. It says in the entrance to café "experience different". Moody Café Vin is the first coffee shop in Ireland to sell keep-cups made of recycled coffee beans and some of the furniture in the restaurant is made of recycled pallets.

The Best New Business Award is sponsored by the Local Enterprise Office represented by Ann Doherty, Cork City Council

BEST FAMILY BUSINESS 

O' Connor Bros. Funeral Home

Nominees were O’Connor Bros. Funeral Home, North Gate Bridge, Garry McCarthy Trophies, Cork English College

O’Connor Bros. Funeral Home North Gate Bridge is 135 years old and currently run by the 4th generation of the O’Connor family. They provide a 24/7 funeral service, 365 days a year , which equates to over 1,000,000 hours of continuous service to the people of Cork.

The Best Family Business Award is sponsored by AIB represented by John Callanan.

BEST IN DIGITAL - Crawford Art Gallery

Nominees were Statsols, Crawford Art Gallery, Digi Nomad

Crawford Art Gallery embraceed social media and digital platforms to bring the arts to the community outside the gallery walls. Through embracing the digital world, the Gallery was successful in adapting its approach to bring the arts and education to communities across Cork to inspire knowledge and creativity, even during a time when the public could not physically access Crawford Art Gallery

The Best in Digital Award is sponsored by Cork Airport represented by Barry Holland.

BEST CORK RESTAURANT - Oak Fire Pizza

Nominees were Oak Fire Pizza, Tequila Jacks, Rare 1784@ The Blue Haven, Kinsale.

In just five years, Oak Fire Pizza has grown from a single wood fired pizza takeaway outlet in Clonakilty to being Munster’s largest wood fired pizza business employing over 70 people across 7 locations in Cork City and County. Oak Fire Pizza didn’t close for a single day in any location throughout the pandemic and opened 3 new outlets during that time, including their biggest location, a full service 40 seater restaurant in Douglas.

The Best Cork Restaurant Award is sponsored by the English Market represented by Orla Lanin.

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS INNOVATION 

Cork Migrant Centre, NNP

Nominees were the Kingsley Hotel, Cork Migrant Centre, Nano Nagle Place and Salvagemn

Saoirse Ethnic Hands on Deck (EHD) is a registered social enterprise developed organically from a weekly Friday Women Coffee Morning of asylum seeking/refugee women’s group at the Cork Migrant Centre, Nano Nagle Place, Cork. Currently the business is engaged in the Mother Tongue Project which is a collection of sayings and wisdom that mothers across all cultures represented in the women’s’ group,

The Sustainable Business Innovation Award is sponsored by Cork Business Association.

BEST CORK CAFE - 5 Points Cafe

Nominees were 5 Points Café, Dulce Bun House, Vicki’s Kitchen & Garden

5 Points Café is a New York style café in Cork’s beautiful Victorian Quarter. Opened in September 2021 with the café aims to bring an urban dining style to a rustic café setting where everyone has a place including our Canine customers. Specialising in freshly baked, hand-rolled, authentic NYC style bagels, 5 Points offers a diverse organic menu that caters to the tastes of Cork and beyond.

The Best Cork Café Award is sponsored by the English Market represented by Orla Lanin.

BEST CORK VFI PUB - Dwyer's of Cork

Nominees were Dwyer’s of Cork, Barry’s of Douglas and Conway’s Yard.

Dwyer’s of Cork is a vintage-style gastropub located on Cork’s Washington Street, offering extensive food services, including, Bottomless Brunch, Crunch, cocktails, live music. Dwyer’s of Cork recently invested in an outdoor area with an additional capacity of 100 and created a new dedicated cocktail bar which is a new offering for customers.

The Best Cork VFI Pub Award is sponsored by the VFI Cork represented by Michael O’Donovan.

THE CHAMPION OF CORK - Cork City Council

Chosen for the dedicated and focused leadership shown by the elected representatives and executive of Cork City Council during the Covid-19 Pandemic. As a whole, Cork City Council acted proactively to the rapidly changing requirements of businesses, especially in the areas of outdoor dining and public realm upgrades. Their cooperation and collaboration with various sectors of the city has ensured that Cork is now the envy of many cities, both at home and abroad, and Cork is now in a better place to rebound economically as a result of their interventions. For these reasons, Cork City Council are truly deserving of the accolade of Champion of Cork.

The Champion of Cork Award is sponsored by the Cork Institute of Technology represented by Gerard O’Donovan.