The Connacht Regionals final of the Irish Restaurant Awards took place at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa in Sligo on Tuesday, March 28^th – and The Connacht Hotel took home the Best Sustainable Practices Award.

The Irish Restaurant Awards, which are often dubbed ‘The Food Oscars’, recognised some of the fantastic establishments across the province that are serving up high-level cuisine, beverages, customer service, and more.

Galway was represented by a slew of winners at the Connacht Regionals of the Irish Restaurant Awards, and The Connacht Hotel was recognised for their forward-thinking sustainability practices.

The Connacht Hospitality Group’s flagship hotel has taken their green-friendly approach very seriously over the years.

The Best Sustainable Practices award, which was sponsored by Gas Networks Ireland, recognised just how focused their in-house Green Team is on making environmentally conscious decisions, helping customers choose eco-friendly alternatives, and taking more decisions that are better for the planet.

In recent times, The Connacht Hotel has partnered with Irish sustainability charity Hometree to donate funds that will regenerate an acre of Connemara rainforest.

Other sustainability practices have seen them set up EV chargers at the hotel, and they have introduced a range of in-house changes that are better for the environment – like installing water-reduction heads in hotel showers.

“It’s great to be recognised by The Irish Restaurant Awards for our sustainability objectives and achievements, so a thank you to them for this award,” said Natasha Chuyeva, Hotel Manager and Hotel Green Team Lead.

“We all know how important it is that we take sustainable decisions every day, and we’ve done our best to implement real change. For our EV chargers and Hometree collaborations, we’ve thought big and made impactful, measurable changes. But we’ve also looked at the minute details, from re-using coffee grounds as fertilizer for our gardens to encouraging green-friendly meeting room etiquette.

“Making a change, whether big or small, is so crucial – and we’re delighted to be playing our part for a greener, healthier future,” Natasha added.

All the county winners will now compete for the Regional and All Ireland Titles, which will be announced at the Irish Restaurant Awards’ All Ireland Final on Monday, May 15^th in the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin 4.