The big night is February 25th.

The Cork Business Association (CBA) has announced the finalists of the 66th annual Cork Business of the Year Awards 2023, with the overall winners set to be announced at the CBA’s annual President’s Dinner in the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa Little Island.

The Awards, which are run in partnership with sponsors JCD, Centra and Peninsula, recognise the outstanding contribution of businesses and individuals working diligently across varied sectors of business in Cork City.

This year SOMA Coffee Co., The Bookshelf and Yumm Café Kanturk will battle it out for Best Café. Nell’s Wine Bar, Rare at The Blue Haven and Terre at Castlemartyr Resort, hotly tipped for a Michelin star this year, will compete for Best Restaurant.

The Best VFI Pub finalists are Barry’s of Douglas, JJ Walsh’s and The Castle Inn.

The finalists are:

• Best in Sustainable Business Innovation:  Ballymaloe House, Salvagem, The Imperial Hotel.
• Best Café: Soma Coffee Co., The Bookshelf, Yumm Cafe, Kanturk.
• Best New Business: Cork Harbour Cruises, Golden Bites Food Ltd, Greenwich Cafe.
• Best Family Business: Mahers Pure Coffee, T&A Civil Engineering Ltd., The Chicken Inn.
• Cork’s Best Hotel: The Kingsley, The Metropole Hotel, Vienna Woods Hotel.
• Best Restaurant: Nell’s Wine Bar, Rare @ The Blue Haven, Terre @ Castlemartyr Resort.
• Best VFI Pub: Barry’s of Douglas, JJ Walsh’s, The Castle Inn.
• Best Retail Business: Interiosity, Leaders Menswear, The Roughty Foodie.
• Best in Tourism, Arts & Events: Cork on a Fork Festival, IMART, The Everyman.
• Best Professional Services Business: 3B1, ERA Downey McCarthy, MC2 Accountants.
• Best in Digital Business: Babelfis, Dyjaho, HomeHak.com.

The public now has the chance to vote for the overall winners in each award category on CBAAwards.ie.

The public decision will carry considerable weight when the judging panel makes their final decision. The judges will also select the overall Cork Business of the Year awards for a large business and SME, and they will choose a Champion of Cork.

“Success wears many different hats.” said President of the Cork Business Association, Kevin Herlihy.

“To some, it’s bunkering down and keeping the doors open to provide a vital service for our city, while others have innovated, pivoted, or grown.”