Sunday World’s Magazine+ celebrates nominations for Irish Food Writing Awards

Food writer Kevin Dundon, food critic Alan Kelly and wine expert Jean Smullen have all been nominated for the upcoming awards for their mouth-watering weekly offerings in this paper.

The prestigious awards reward excellence in writing and content production on Irish food across a host of categories including Investigate Writing, Cookbook of the Year and Writing on Specialist and Ethnic cuisines in Ireland.

Acknowledging the role played by social media within the industry during lockdown, for the first time this year, there will also be a gong for the best Food & Drink TikTok/Instagram.

Since joining Magazine+ in 2011, celebrity chef Kevin Dundon - nominated for best Cookery Writing - has built a loyal fanbase with his easy-to-follow and tasty recipes for dishes including molten chocolate and blueberry pudding and today’s Asian prawn and noodle soup, as well as special recipe booklets such as Noshtalgia.

Grape Spy Jean Smullen, who joined the awards-nominated team in 2012, is up for Wine Writing Award for her accessible and affordable recommendations and wine pairing tips.

While Alan Kelly, better known as Grub Spy for the past decade, got the nod in the Restaurant Writing category thanks to his lively and honest restaurant reviews of eateries from farmer’s markets to five-star restaurants all over the country.

Speaking about the honour, Kevin, who runs Dunbrody House hotel in Wexford, said: “I’m over the moon to be nominated for the Irish Food Writing Awards for my work in Magazine+.

“It’s a joy just to share some of my favourite family recipes with readers each week.”

Danish chef René Redzepi of three-Michelin-star restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, British food writer Tom Parker Bowles and wine critic Fiona Beckett are among the judges set to crown the winners at the finals in Fallon and Byrne in Dublin on October 13.

Read Kevin, Alan and Jean every week in Magazine+.