Dunnanelly Country House receives best breakfast in Ireland recognition

Dunnanelly Country House receives best breakfast in Ireland recognition

27 February 2019

A COUNTRY house near Crossgar and a Newcastle restaurant have been given high praise in a competition to find the best breakfast in Ireland.

Dunnanelly Country House and Brunel’s were both highly commended in the 2019 Georgina Campbell Irish Breakfast Awards. 

Dunnanelly Country House, on the Rocks Chapel Road outside Crossgar, impressed judges with its commitment to using the best of local and home-grown produce.

Judges said of the establishment: “Although it is just three miles from Downpatrick, Sally King’s gorgeous Georgian-style house lies secluded in gardens, fields and woodland, with views of the Mourne Mountains to the south.

“Offering all the benefits of a Georgian house with the comfort of mod cons too, it would make a wonderful base for experiencing the St Patrick Story and exploring this beautiful county. The six bedrooms are beautifully furnished with great attention to detail and every comfort you could wish for.

“Breakfast is served in the elegant dining room and an attractive card showing the provenance of all the food served sits proudly on the table. 

“Sausages, bacon, eggs and smoked salmon all come from within a few miles, the honey is home-produced, and free-range, organic or Fair Trade products are used whenever possible. 

“Sally’s jams are made with their own home grown fruit – and she even uses home-grown lemons in her marmalade.”

Brunel’s, situated on Newcastle’s Downs Road was highly commended in the Irish dairy complete natural brunch category.

The judges remarked: “Friendly staff greet new arrivals to a delightful restaurant that’s named — and themed — to honour the pioneering Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s connections with the town, and is full of quirky charm.

“Head chef Paul Cunningham has earned a following for creative, ingredients-led cooking and those in the know travel from a wide area to enjoy his flavoursome food. The cooking is terrific — every dish looks great and, more importantly, is bursting with flavour — and the excellent service and pleasing surroundings create a sense of occasion, so even the lightest meal here will feel like a treat.

“Brunch is available every day at Brunel’s and the mouth-watering menu is perfectly balanced to bridge the gap between breakfast and lunch.

“Showcasing mainly local produce — egg and dairy producers just 10 minutes away, meats 20 minutes — there’s a brilliant range of dishes and virtually everything is made in-house.”