Beara firms celebrate awards on the double

BY HELEN RIDDELL

TWO Castletownbere businesses are celebrating following wins in the 2024 Irish Takeaway Awards held last week.

The Chef’s Table picked up two gold medals for fish dish of the year and best newcomer and CatchaCoffee came home with a silver award for best coffee cart.

Grace Delaney who runs The Chef’s Table with her husband Mark Funston said it was their first time entering the awards. ‘We were blown away with the result and it’s great achievement for us and our team,’ she said.

Grace explained that it was her daughter who suggested they enter the awards.

Mark Funston with his two gold Irish Takeaway awards.

‘A mystery diner arrived some time in December, and another one in January. They obviously enjoyed their meals as we were shortlisted in seven categories and came home with two gold medals,’ she told The Southern Star.

The Chef’s Table run a takeaway service and customers also have the option to dine in Twomey’s Bar located across the road, which says Grace has been a great relationship between the two businesses.

‘The takeaway runs as its own entity, but working with another local business is symbiotic and we hope to build on that going forward.’

The couple are now taking a well-deserved break and will reopen on March 15th, which chef Mark already making plans for a new menu.

‘I don’t like things to get stagnant, obviously the popular staples will stay, but there will be some fantastic new dishes when we reopen.’

Patrice O’Neill who runs CatchaCoffee, a takeaway coffee truck on the pier in Castletownbere, was delighted to win a silver medal award for the business which she set up with her husband in 2021.

‘It’s a great achievement, and you know you’re doing something right when you win an award like this. It’s our second time in the competition, last year we were highly commended in our category.’