Sligo’s Flipside Named Ireland’s Best Burger for 2021
Annual awards take place ahead of National Burger Day
Wednesday, 11th August 2021 – Sligo locals Paul Brennan and David Dunne have flipped their way to fame as Kepak, sponsors of National Burger Day, announced that independent burger shop, Flipside, is officially home to the best burger in Ireland for 2021. The win provides another boost to the busy Sligo burger joint following the recent resumption of indoor dining after they successfully navigated pandemic related closure by pivoting to takeaway.
The announcement comes ahead of National Burger Day on 12th August, which, in support of the foodservice sector, will see participating outlets across the country mark the day with a special Two-for-One deal on their signature burgers.
Over the past month, almost 20,000 Irish burger enthusiasts cast their vote for the most mouth-watering burger in the country. With over 450 burger outlets to choose from, Flipside has been awarded the juicy title of the best burger in the country.
Former winners of the award for the Best Gourmet Burger in Connaught, Flipside is a stylish burger bar serving top-quality burgers, prepared on the spot using only the freshest local ingredients. Flipside also serves up vegan and vegetarian options, as well as a variety of salads, sides, ice-cream sundaes and fries.
“We are absolutely delighted to have won Best Burger at the National Burger Day awards and very grateful to our customers for all their support,” Paul Brennan of Flipside commented. “It has been a tough period for hospitality, with so much turbulence and uncertainty in our industry, so this award means a huge amount to us. Having just reopened our doors as a dine-in restaurant following 18 months operating as a takeaway, we are delighted to have now put Sligo firmly on the national burger map. Winning this accolade is a rewarding public acknowledgement of our hard work and a big boost for our small but brilliant team,” he said.
Other winners of this year’s awards include Dublin’s well known Thunder Road Café, which won Best Burger in a Restaurant and Harry’s Galway which took home the Best Burger in a Pub award.
Meanwhile, food trends arising during the pandemic were also evident among this year’s participants, with two food trucks including Gaelic Burger in Kildare and O’Reilly’s in Cork capturing the attention of foodies in Leinster and Connaught and bringing home the bacon in their respective provinces.
National Burger Day
To help celebrate the humble burger, Kepak is hosting Ireland’s National Burger Day across the country tomorrow, 12th August. Burger lovers can treat themselves and a friend to a signature burger with an exclusive Two for One offer at participating burger outlets nationwide.
To top it off, for every burger purchased and a photo shared online with the hashtag #nationalburgerday, a meal will be donated to Simon Communities across the country, with over 14,000 meals donated in 2020 as part of the campaign.
Hundreds of Irish food businesses are taking part, from much-loved fast-food joints to family owned-pubs, hotels, and speciality burger restaurants. A full list of participating outlets can be found at https://www.nationalburgerday.ie/
“We’re delighted that National Burger Day has returned again for a fourth year, bigger and better than before,” said John Savage, Kepak Foodservice Solutions Commercial Director. “I’d like to congratulate Flipside, who are very worth winners of this year’s top prize, as well as all of our category winners, participating outlets and supporters. After what has been a challenging period for Irish foodservice operators, this campaign truly is the coming together of Ireland’s biggest and best food brands in support of the sector and the beloved burgers on their menus.”
National Burger Day is sponsored by Kepak and supported by supported by Flipdish, Blenders, Coughlans and Kilmeadan.
Winners
Best burger in Ireland
- Overall Winner: Flipside, Sligo
Best burger at a…
- Restaurant: Thunder Road Café, Dublin
- Hotel: Hotel Killarney, Kerry
- Pub: Harry’s, Galway
- Convenience/Forecourt: Station Burger at Applegreen
- Independent Fast-Food Chain: Blue Thunder, Claremorris, Mayo
- Independent Takeaway: Tony’s Pizzeria, Dundalk, Louth
Best Independent Takeaway
- Connaught: Cafolla’s in Castlebar, Mayo
- Leinster: Fairview Grill, Dublin
- Munster: Lixnaw Chipper, Kerry
- Ulster: Johnny’s Ranch, Donegal
- Northern Ireland: The Pizza Shack & Burger Bar, Newry, Armagh
Best Takeaway Chain
- Connaught: Blue Thunder, Westport, Mayo
- Leinster: Burger Boxx, Ashbourne, Meath
- Munster: Bun Bros, Ennis, Clare
- Ulster: Friar’s Rest, Letterkenny, Donegal
Best Gourmet Burger Specialist
- Connaught: Cian’s on Bridge Street, Westport, Mayo
- Leinster: Gaelic Burger, Kildare (foodtruck)
- Munster: O’Reilly’s Foodtruck, Cork (foodtruck)
- Ulster: Burger Burger, Dungannon
Best National Fast Food Chain
- Buger King at Applegreen
About Flipside
In October 2018, after months of preparation and right in the heart of Sligo Town, Flipside opened its doors. Many other cafes and pubs had burger offerings, but none were putting them front and center. Now, two Sligo families that go back generations have united to bring a burger restaurant option with a trendy urban feel, serving only top quality locally sourced produce.
Paul, David, and the chefs choose to work only with the best quality meat, grass-fed Aberdeen Angus beef from Sligo. Paul’s family has worked with William Clarke Butchers for years in the hospitality industry in their fine dining restaurant Reveries located in Rosses Point in the 1980s and earlier in Beezie’s pub in the 1970s. Together, Paul and Keith Clarke worked on a secret burger formula, bespoke to Flipside.
When the pandemic hit, Flipside closed completely for six uncertain weeks before adapting and pivoting the business into a takeaway module. It began with phone orders and then moved entirely online, operating with a certain number of slots each evening for pre-order. The aim was to make the process efficient, seamless, of a high standard and ultimately a safe experience for customers. Now, Flipside is actively looking for just the right takeaway premises in Sligo to be able to provide our takeaway offering again.
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