BALTIMORE has been named the inaugural Food Village of the Year as Cork scooped six gongs at the 2026 Georgina Campbell Irish Food and Hospitality Awards.

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By Jackie Keogh and Kieran O’Mahony

The village was well represented at the ceremony in Dublin with Maria Archer of Dede group, Kate and Youen Jacob of the Waterfront Hotel and Jacob’s Bar and publicans Marian and Aidan Bushe all in attendance.

Awarding the highly-coveted first ever Food Village of the Year accolade judges noted: “What they all have in common is wonderful West Cork hospitality, a sense of community and very high standards. No surprise then, that Baltimore should be chosen as our inaugural Food Village of the Year.”

The Gougane Barra Hotel picked up Rural Destination of the Year, while Casey’s Hotel in Glengarriff was awarded Three Star Hotel of the Year for its “warmth, value, character and remarkable longevity”.

Kinsale’s Prim’s Bookshop & Wine Bar won the Wine Experience Award with the citation noting that it’s “a wine bar any Irish town would be lucky to have”.

Ruth Healy from URRU Culinary Store in Bandon won the Long Haul Hero for connecting producers, cooks and customers at her culinary store for more than 20 years.

Baltimore gastro-pub The Algiers was regional winner in the Outstanding Customer Service category of the Irish Pub Awards, and is in with a chance to take the national title at the final in November.