THE JUDGES
Details of the 2022 judging panel.
GILLIAN NELIS, chair
Gillian Nelis is deputy editor of the Business Post Media Group, and editor of Food&Wine magazine. She has more than 25 years of experience in journalism, and has worked across news, features, property, lifestyle and more. She has been the Business Post Magazine’s restaurant critic for eight years, and is the host of the Plate food podcast.

JORDAN MOONEY
Jordan Mooney is assistant editor of Food&Wine magazine. A trained chef, she is currently completing her MA in gastronomy at TU Dublin.

MICK O’CONNELL

AOIFE CARRIGY
Aoife has been a regular contributor to Food&Wine magazine since 2005, including five years as deputy editor, and is a regular contributor to various national newspapers and magazines including the Irish Independent, where she writes a weekly wine and drinks column.

JOANNE CRONIN

OISIN DAVIS

CATHAL MCBRIDE
Cathal is a food and wine writer based in Galway with a passion for all types of gastronomy, wine and spirits. As wine columnist for the Business Post Magazine, he delves into his years of experience, offering an insight into pairing wine with food while attempting to break down the barriers of accessibility so that everyone can enjoy the wonders of the wine world.

JOE MCNAMEE
Joe McNamee is a recovering chef who has been writing about food since the late 1990s. Today he is a food writer and restaurant reviewer with The Irish Examiner; a feature writer at Food&Wine Magazine and a contributor to a variety of other publications including Eater in the US. He also works as a consultant for small producers, food retailers and the hospitality sector. Joe is founder, curator and host of Grub Circus, a ‘travelling food roadshow’ combining anarchical entertainment with serious debate about issues in modern food systems, reflecting his deep personal engagement with food politics and regenerative agriculture. He holds a BA in Culinary Arts from Cork Institute of Technology and is a member of Slow Food Ireland.

JULIE O’NEILL
for profit sectors to promote sustainable business growth in Ireland. In a career that spanned 37 years in the Irish public service, Julie worked across eight government departments culminating in a seven year term as secretary general of the Department of Transport from 2002 to 2009. Her keen interest in the tourism and hospitality sector stems from her time as Assistant Secretary with responsibility for Tourism at the Department of Tourism, Sport & Recreation. She enjoys cooking and eating out and is passionate about high standards in Irish restaurants. She holds an MSc in Policy Analysis from Trinity College Dublin and a B. Comm from University College Dublin.

JORIS MINNE

Corinna Hardgrave

Ali Dunworth
