2018 Award Winners NATURAL FOOD AWARD 2018

Vasco, Fanore, Co Clare

The Guide has always championed the best of Irish produce. It’s the philosophy behind our food recommendations and the Natural Food Award has emphasised this for many years, by celebrating particular establishments that create a meeting point between the best and freshest local produce and the consumer. The original aim was to recognise specifically “an individual or team, driven by a total commitment to using the very best of fresh, seasonal and mainly local foods – and preparing them simply and with style, to showcase their natural goodness and the quality produce of the locality”. The category now also includes food products, producers and retailers.

Situated in the heart of the Burren in 'Ireland's longest village', on the coast road between Doolin and Ballyvaughan and opposite the well known O’Donoghue’s pub, Karen and Ross Quinn's eye-catching business is an all-day café-restaurant and deli, an evening dining destination in summer - and many other wonderful things besides.

The much travelled multi-lingual pair offer eclectic menus, but their delicious food is firmly rooted in the foods of the area and they are keen supporters of local producers.

Burren beef and lamb, organic vegetables (some of them home grown) and the fresh fish and seafood that is so good and plentiful along the west coast all feature and - while goats' cheese is a product more widely available here and throughout Ireland - tender goat meat from a local farm is a house speciality in season.

It’s well worth planning a visit here, if only for an excellent specially-blended tea or coffee and a freshly baked scone, or one of the gorgeous desserts laid out temptingly just inside the door - and you can pick up a terrific picnic from the adjacent deli too.