Best Restaurants Awards

dudara

From the times

The Yeats Room at Ballymaloe House in Co Cork has taken the top prize at
the Bushmills Malt Irish Restaurant Awards 2005.

The establishment won the overall best restaurant in Ireland award at a
ceremony in the Mansion House this afternoon.

Derry Clarke of L'Ecrivain Restaurant in Dublin won the best chef award,
Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin took the best service award, and
The Hungry Monk in Greystones was voted as having the best wine list.

The awards, now in their seventh year, gives restaurant owners from all
over Ireland an opportunity to vote for their favourite restaurant in a
total of eight different categories

Roly's Bistro in Ballsbridge won the best-value restaurant award and the
Wing Tai House in Buncrana, Co Donegal, took the best ethnic restaurant
award.

Mint in Ranelagh was voted the most stylish restaurant in Ireland, and
the BIM best fish restaurant is Doyle's seafood restaurant in Dingle,
Co.Kerry.

I just want to know if anyone else is still boycotting Ballymaloe products?

babaduck

No, and I never did. Why persecute an innocent family because of one person's transgressions??

Doodah7

Their Ballymaloe Relish is one of the tastiest things in existence and so no I don't think I could ever boycott it.

What's the point anyway???

dudara

Because Darina Allen stood by him as he walked in and out of court. And he bought his way out of a sentence. Where did the money come from? And how could she support him, knowing that they had raised children together?

They're never getting a peeny from me again, and i've actually refused offers of meals at their restaurant

D-Generate

Who is to say the money did not come from him? He was a chef himself and as such must have earned money so it is unfair to say that she paid for his defense.

I would hope that if I was ever on trial my family would stand by me no matter how serious the allegations are. When she said the old "I do" to being his wife she vowed to stand by him through everything. Should she really be punished for love?

I'm not saying he's innocent or anything like that, all i'm saying is that there is no real benefit from boycotting their goods. The man has been punished pretty badly already, a jail sentance wouldn't have been much of a benefit to society. His public name has been tarnished, his social standing has been destroyed, he has lost a lot of his wealth, he is undergoing court enforced rehabilitation.
Yet you want to punish his wife for his crime? Hardly seems fair.

Also Dudara, you're from Cork, surely you have heard the many side rumours about this specific case that I won't go in to detail because boards could be libel for accusations. Must have heard at least one rumour

dudara

Everything you've said is a fair argument D-generate, but imagine the questions that must go through your head if your a mother and you raised children with a man who has kiddie-porn images. Do you want to think about all the nights he might have given the kids a bath, or dressed them for bed? We know from bitter experience in Ireland, that family are not above abusing kids. I'm not saying that this is what happened, not at all, and I believe in standing by a personin trial and tribulation. However, for me, there is a limit.

brettmirl

Ballymaloe relish has nothing to do with the allen family as far as i know. I remeber reading an article at the time of the child porn case and the people that make the relish just bought the "Ballymaloe" name off the allens in order to make it more high profile.

Apparently they sell their franchise to a few different people.

MrsA

I live and work very near Ballymaloe and to be honest the business has not suffered at all. We all know that what he allegedly did was wrong, and my god he is not a popular man, but, Ballymaloe is a great establishment in its own right so there would be no need to every boycott it. I would consider it cutting off your nose to spite your face!!
And the rumours are still rampant around here, I would not like to comment on them but they seem a lot more believable then what we are being lead to believe is the truth.
I love their relish - It is made in Little Island, but, has the endorsment of the brand as such. Nothing like it on a cheese sarnie!!
MPA

Alanna

Darina Allen has done an incredible amount for the profile of Irish food, I once met her at an international food fair in Italy (slow food), she was promoting Irish food off her own bat, she was not being subsidised by the Irish government in any way. She just thought it was important to raise awareness of Irish produce and cookery. She has also written one of the best books of Irish food (Traditional Irish Food ?) that examines the history and tradition of Irish food and serves to preserve recipes that would have other wise dissapeared for ever. Myrtle Allen is one of the most respected cooks in Europe and started the whole Ballymaloe thing. The Ballymaloe school is almost solely responsible for improving the standard of pub food and guest house breakfasts, all over Ireland through their courses.

Should we really boycott the hard work of these incredible people because of the (admittedly disgusting) transgressions of one of their family?