Ashdown has Leinster’s best roast

A ROAST DINNER is an essential part of what makes traditional Irish food special and such a popular choice of delicacy with tourists and locals in equal measure.

This is something that chefs at Gorey’s Ashdown Park Hotel understand well, as the hotel was recently named as this year’s Leinster Great Roast Hotel in the Knorr Professional Ireland’s Great Roast competition.

The team at the Ashdown were up against it, as both pubs and hotels across the country set up their cooking stations in preparation for the judges but they were delighted to come out on top.

‘We are delighted to win the Hotel Best Roast in Leinster on the back of our silver and bronze medals for our rib eyes and sirloins at the World Steak Championships which were held in Dublin earlier this year,’ said Paul Finegan, general manager of the Ashdown Park Hotel, Gorey.

This year’s competition had a special focus on innovation and seasonality as well as the ability to cater to customers with special dietary requirements.

Each of the short listed nominees were mystery dined and scored on the quality and flavour of their roasts.

This included the quality of meat, freshness of vegetables and thickness of gravy, which are the key ingredients of a quality Irish roast dinner.

Pubs and hotels were also marked as well as customer service and the overall experience in each venue.

A spokesperson for the competition said that Leinster this time around set its roasts apart.

‘ The quality of the beef served at the Ashdown Park Hotel was outstanding and showcases the quality of meat produced locally,’ they said.

All meat served at the Ashdown Park Hotel comes from the Redmond Family Farm, based in Craanford and the farm also supplies salads and vegetables used in the hotel’s restaurants.

As a result of winning the Leinster hotel title, Gorey’s Ashdown Park Hotel was given three new chef jackets as well as a framed award for the title of Leinster’s Best Hotel Roast.

Paul Finegan said that both the award would have pride of place.

Jack O’ Hara, head chef Val Murphy, Gillian Sinnott, Sylwia Biz, Rosie Poole, head carvery chef Tomasz Grzywa and Andraa Vasilica who are members of the kitchen team at the Ashdown Park Hotel who were Ireland’s best roast competition winners.