IT'S been a jewel in the crown of Newry eateries for more than a century - and now the Shelbourne Bakery and Restaurant at Hill Street and Margaret Street is the city is celebrating an unique awards double.
It scooped two of the top accolades at the Greater Newry Area Business Awards, which this year attracted a record-breaking entry of 300-plus applications representing the crème de la crème of local business talent.
The Shelbourne won Best Place to Eat Award (cafe & tea room) and Best Customer Service Award (service sector) at a lavish ceremony in the Canal Court Hotel compered by the BBC's Mark Simpson and attended by more than 500 guests.
The awards, held biennially, celebrate the very best that the Greater Newry Area business community has to offer, profiling the exceptionally high standard of business leadership, ambition, entrepreneurship and innovativeness which has become synonymous with this region.
And the Shelbourne ticked every box for the judges, grabbing two of the 21 awards on offer, which delighted both its owners, staff and customers.
Founded in 1906, the Shelbourne Bakery and Restaurant has been synonymous with quality all through the years.
In the early 1990s Hugh Boyle purchased the Shelbourne Bakery from the Mooney family and since then he and his son Hugh junior have developed the business with the help of their excellent staff, investing and refurbishing every area of the establishment to include new kitchens and bake house, through to the well designed bakery shop and extended restaurant.
The new Shelbourne Restaurant, which occupies the premises of the former White Cross Hotel on Margaret Street, has a sophisticated elegance and a relaxing, inviting atmosphere (adding that touch of style and historical authenticity, the original lettering of the White Cross Hotel can still be seen on the outside first floor of the building).
Just like the Shelbourne Bakery itself, the White Cross Hotel has a long history in Newry, dating back to the early 1800s when the Belfast/Dublin coach used to stop in the town three times a week.
In the early 1900s the many visitors to Newry, transported by coach to the hotel from the Edward Street Station, kept the hotel busy.
Indeed over the years the White Cross Hotel played host to many distinguished guests whose names have gone down in Irish history as well as on the hotel register.
The elaborate signature of Countess Markievicz, who came up to rally for a local by-election, was entered into the register on January 24 1918. In February of the same year Eamon De Valera retired to the opulent surroundings of the White Cross Hotel after a rally in Margaret Square.
Today, the 250-seater Shelbourne Restaurant also features a fine display of both local and international art with such names as Graham Knuttel and John Kingerley gracing the walls and all paintings on display are for sale.
The Shelbourne Bakery has a proven track record as one of the best in the country, having scooped dozens of industry awards at a local and national level, and these latest Newry accolades are the icing on the cake.
