It’s a fact that N’Iron Ireland is passionate about the ‘spud’. So much so, the inaugural Mighty Spud Awards was launched in January 2016.

Now a permanent fixture in the potato lover’s diary, the awards programme gives the public the chance to nominate restaurants, takeaways and pubs in Northern Ireland to be recognised for their culinary expertise when it comes to the potato.

Entries are shortlisted by an expert judging panel who participate in a week of tasting (tough life…eh) before selecting the winners.

Here is a glimpse of the 2016 winners – All hail the spud.