The "Just Ask" Restaurant for the Month of June is Good Things café in Skibbereen

The Bordbia Just Ask restaurant of the month for June goes to Good Things café at Dillon’s Corner, Skibbereen, Co. Cork.

Carmel Somers, Owner & Chef at The Good Things Café, Skibbereen, Cork

Good Things is the creation of chef, boss and mother extraordinaire, Carmel Somers, a passionate chef who cooks simple, fresh and tasty food.

“Good ingredients make good food", says owner Carmel Somers, owner & chef at Good Things café. "Therefore, at Good Things we make a priority of locally sourcing the best ingredients possible. In essence, whatever we cook, we like to ensure it’s something we would like to eat. Not only do our customers eat our food but also our staff, our family and our friends, therefore, we do our utmost to provide truly good food".

Their fresh meat is supplied by local butcher, William Walsh and Dave Louks of Sheehymore Free Range Farm supplies their chicken and eggs.

Fish and seafood are sourced from The Fish Station in Skibbereen and Ted Browne of De Brun Iasc Teo in Dingle. Additional suppliers include Sally Barnes of Woodcock Smokery for her smoked fish and the Ferguson family of Gubbeen Farmhouse for their Gubbeen cheeses and cured meats.

The Kingstons of Glenilen Farm are the suppliers for all their country butter, creme fraiche, clotted cream and yoghurts. Local fruit & vegetable suppliers include Steve and Aly of Grá Farm, Radical Roots of Bandon, grower Phil Walsh, Gubbeen Greens from Gubbeen House Gardens and Tim York of Lisheen Organics in Skibbereen.

Carmel also runs a successful Cookery School which continues with their tradition of cooking honest tasty good things to eat. For more details visit their website at www.thegoodthingscafe.com or call +353 (0)28 51948. (pics @GoodThingsCafe )

Bord Bia’s Just Ask initiative was established in 2009 to recognise restaurants across the country that demonstrate best practice both in sourcing local produce, and profiling suppliers on their menus. Listing the local farmers and businesses involved with bringing a menu together can enhance the experience for diners and promotes better engagement with the farm to fork journey.

To date, there have been over 65 winners, selected by food writer Georgina Campbell in collaboration with Bord Bia. Each month, a Restaurant of the Month is selected for an eatery that exemplifies the principles of the campaign. A leading restaurant is chosen for the annual Restaurant of the Year award and Good Things cafe actually won the Restaurant of the Year 2017 at an award ceremony last September.

Zack.

The Deadline for Foodie Destinations 2017 Applications is July 13th

The deadline is approaching for entries to the  Foodie Destinations 2017 organised by the Restaurant Association of Ireland (RAI). This competition celebrates the best of  Ireland’s unique and wonderful food offerings and encourages local food tourism initiatives across the country. 

If your town, village, suburb or region believes you have a unique food tourism offering and would like to apply, head over to www.foodiedestinations.ie where you'll find the entry criteria and the application form. 

The Foodie Destinations 2017 winner will be a destination that actively promotes itself through joint promotional activities such as food festivals, gourmet trails or farmers’ markets as well as great dining experiences for locals and visitors alike. They will have established a local producer/supplier network which is utilised and promoted by local businesses. 

Plans for future growth and investment into the food and hospitality industry at a local level will also be taken into consideration by Foodie Destinations judges. Education, training, development and employment will be key components of the ultimate food Foodie Destination and collaboration is of utmost importance - they want to see communities working towards a common foodie goal.

This year the RAI welcome FBD Insurance as their official sponsor. John Reade, Head of Business Insurance at FBD Insurance has this to say: “For 50 years FBD Insurance has been proud to support local community initiatives and as Ireland's only indigenous Insurer we are delighted to see so many communities developing their own food culture offerings and contributing to the wonderfully diverse food culture in Ireland.”

The Boyne Valley was the winner of the 2016 Foodie Destination competition and it had successfully pitched itself as a region "synonymous with heritage and lush green landscape" with a concentrated effort on the marketing and growth of their fabulous artisan producers from Ireland’s only garlic farm, heritage potatoes, blue goats cheese to rapeseed oils.

The deadline for 2017 applications is 12 noon, Thursday 13th of July.

All final applications must be submitted online here at : https://goo.gl/forms/HdLGs4h69RB9WQla2

Follow the competition on Twitter @FoodieDest and hashtag #FoodieDestinations and check out the dedicated website  www.foodiedestinations.ie

For all queries contact Emma at the RAI on +353 (1) 677 9901 or media@rai.ie

Zack.

Restaurant Association calls for immediate action on Chef Shortage crisis

The Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) has again made calls for emergency measures to be implemented to solve the crisis shortage of chefs in Ireland. The RAI are again reiterating the need for the re-establishment of CERT, the former State Tourism Training Agency. 

Chief Executive of the RAI, Adrian Cummins commented, “Some restaurants across the country are being forced to close on Mondays and Tuesdays due to the shortage of chefs. It is interesting to note that the other large industries in Ireland such as agriculture and fishing have dedicated training centres around the country.”

The RAI says that there is still a crisis in the shortage of chefs in the country, and an investment in training is needed urgently. The organisation is calling on the Minister for Education Richard Bruton T.D. to re-establish CERT with immediate effect. Mr. Cummins continued “The hospitality and tourism industry is one of our most valuable assets. It is ludicrous that there are no training colleges for our industry in this country.”

Mr. Cummins commented on the new proposals, “The chef shortage in this country is an ongoing problem. The new apprenticeship proposals are a stepping stone in tackling the crisis but the re-establishment of CERT is the only solution.” The RAI state that the main skills shortages are among suitably qualified chefs. Shortages of commis chefs feed into shortages at higher and specialist levels. Among the applicants submitted for chef positions, many are deemed not to be appropriately qualified. This reflects the fact that there is not enough chef training centres. Currently 1800 chefs qualify each year from certified culinary training programmes. There remains an immediate deficit of 5000 chef trainees annually.

The RAI recommends investment in management and the establishment of 10 new chef training centres nationally. CERT, the State Tourism Training Agency, was established in 1963. CERT was responsible for providing a trained workforce for the hotel, catering and tourism industry. It offered training courses for those wishing to pursue a career in this field and for employees in the industry who wanted to develop new skills. It was abolished in May 2003. Speaking about CERT, Mr Cummins said “CERT was fit for purpose and serviced the industry with skilled labour, it was held in very high esteem during its operational years.”

Irish workers account for 69% of employees in the Hospitality sector. This highlights the importance of the industry. Mr. Cummins continued, “We want to be able to market Ireland as a centre of food excellence, a true culinary experience with world-class chefs leading the way. Instead, we are finding ourselves in a position where we have a severe shortage of chefs in Ireland which is now threatening the success of the tourism industry’s recovery.”

You can contact the Restaurants Association of Ireland by Telephone on : +353 1 6779901

You know, it is actually OK to eat Sliced Bread!

I've been a professional chef for over thirty years and being a chef means that you have the opportunities to cook and eat some amazing food! I will eat anything (except prawns, crab and lobster, which I suddenly became allergic to, six years ago, after a lifetime of eating them without any problem). I still cook them by smell and memory, but I miss eating crab claws - terribly!

We have two kids and they certainly don't eat everything that I'd like them to. They're very typical to most children, when it comes to food and they can be cautious to trying new things. I know that will change when they're a little older, and that's ok! 

I started my first job at aged 13, in a local bakery and restaurant here in Donegal Town, working after school and summer holidays and I worked there for five years. It was this experience that helped form the basis for my wanting to become a chef. 

There's been a lot of debate recently about which type of bread, if any, is best for you and I now just want throw my two cents worth of opinion into this pot! 

I believe that (like any other food) it's not really about what you eat, its more about how much of it you eat! Bread is a good source of carbohydrate for growth, as well as vitamins and is generally low in fat and sugar. 

When it comes to bread and sandwiches in our house, we eat wholemeal brown, white or treacle soda bread, Indian meal (maize) bread, pancakes, sourdough and sliced white bread. We bake our own bread, mostly white soda bread or wholemeal brown bread, regularly. 

Most of the time our kids will go for wholemeal soda bread or sliced pan white bread. They will eat the sliced pan either plain, as a sandwich, toasted, or dipped in egg and fried as french toast. They spread it with butter, honey, marmalade, chocolate spread, peanut butter or strawberry jam - and sometimes a combination of several of these! 

And although I personally prefer the taste and the texture of a sourdough bread, there is nothing wrong with a white sliced pan although it does get some pretty bad press. Most of the negative argument against it is because the sliced pan is made in mass production units, from refined flour with the addition of enzymes, stabilisers and preservatives which extend its shelf life. The flour is normally re-fortified with B vitamins (thiamine and niacin) and minerals (iron and calcium), which are necessary for growing children.

Unfortified flours like T55, that are preferred for making slow fermented breads, also have enzymes (alpha and beta amylases) added, to help the natural lactobacilli bacteria break the starches in the flour down into more easily fermentable sugars for the yeasts to feed on, which creates carbon dioxide, which gives the bread it's rise. It's actually these increased levels of reducing sugars that lead to the formation in the baking process of products similar to maillard reactions (a bit like like caramelisation or the searing of a steak) which intensify the bread's flavour and crust colour, making sourdough for example, taste so good.

The quality of white sliced bread certainly does vary but at the end of the day, a white sliced pan isn’t trying to pretend that its anything other than what it is - a simple, cheap, sliced white bread.

My point is that there’s room for all kinds of bread. Not everyone wants to (or can) bake, not everyone has time to bake, not everyone has access to a local small bakery and not everyone likes sourdough, but people are free to make their own choices. 

Put simply, it is actually okay to eat ordinary sliced bread!

And that's simply my opinion. 
Zack

Closing Date for Entries for the Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards 2017 is June 14th

Entries are about to close for the 2017 Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards.

The Blás na hÉireann Awards (which are now in their 10th year) take place alongside the Dingle Food Festival, in late September each year.

Last year there were more than 2500 entries in what are the largest blind-tasted Food Awards on the island of Ireland.

The 2016 Supreme Champion was the delicious Rós Rhubarb Cider from Stonewell Cider, Cork.

“Every product that carries a Finalist, Gold, Silver or Bronze sticker is picked up from a store shelf much more quickly than those without it,” said Artie Clifford, the Blás na hÉireann Awards Chairperson.

Artie Clifford, Chairperson and Founder of the Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Awards

“Our research has shown that the Blás accreditation has the highest recognition among Irish consumers. Putting the Blás na hÉireann Award logo on your food packaging has made a significant difference to the businesses that have received a Blás Award," added Artie.

The closing date for the Blás na hÉireann Irish Food Awards 2017 entries is June 14th.

To enter your amazing Irish Food product go to www.IrishFoodAwards.com Today!

Zack

Don't Miss the Coolest Foodie Break in Ireland on May 21st

I'm delighted to announce our first Donegal Food Tour in collaboration with Harvey's Point Hotel, run by the wonderful Deirdre Gysling and her husband, Marc! We will explore some of the best in local and seasonal food and drink, on a food tour that involves a visit to a master bakery, a craft brewery and a fishing trip on Donegal Bay.

Harvey's Point Hotel nestled at the bottom of the Bluestack Mountains just outside Donegal Town

Harveys Point is a multi-award-winning fabulous hotel located on the shores of Lough Eske (just outside Donegal Town) and nestled cosily under the Bluestack Mountains! This special Irish Food Tour break is running from Sunday 21st May through to Tuesday 23rd May, with cookery demonstrations, foodie discussions, wine tasting and three different dining options to enjoy at Harvey’s Point Hotel.

Owners of Harvey's Point and fabulous food lovers, Deirdre & Marc Gysling

The Monday of the stay-over package is completely devoted to a great day out of Donegal food related activities!

Monday's Food Tour is going to be brilliant fun and learning and the full itinerary is as follows:

Following a leisurely breakfast overlooking Lough Eske, meet up with me, Zack, (I'll be your personal guide for the day) and I'll tell you all about the growth of artisan food and food tourism, we'll share some chat about Donegal foodie things, meet some wonderful people and get to enjoy a real taste of Donegal!

11am
Our first visit of the day is to our good friend and Master Baker, Franck Pasquier, at the Donegal Craft Bakery.

Franck will take us through the process and history of sourdough, slow fermentation for bread-making. You will also get the opportunity to learn some of the tricks of the trade and how the different bread types are produced. Tastings of Franck’s savoury and sweet bread varieties will be provided!


12.30pm
Onwards then to Ballyshannon, Ireland’s oldest town and the birthplace of the famous blues guitarist Rory Gallagher (no relation), for a visit to the Donegal Craft Brewing Company.

Owner Brendan (Dicey) O’Reilly and Master Brewer, Patrick, will take us through the process of making craft beer from start to finish and there’ll be samples of his famous Donegal Blonde and other beers too!


2pm
Back on the coach again for a twenty minute drive to Donegal Town and Donegal Charters. At the Pier, we'll board the fully licenced 8-metre fishing vessel, “Donna Marie”, owned and operated by local skipper (and my cousin) Paul Ricketts, who is also s chef, for a trip out on Donegal Bay.

We’ll pass the seal colony at Seal Island and the old Coastguard Station, an embarkation point of emigrants during the Famine years. Paul will bring us out to where he fishes his Lobster Pots and you will experience first-hand how Lobster is caught! We'll also be cooking and eating some fresh seafood on the boat’s built-in barbeque!

4.30pm
A visit to The Irish House on the Diamond in Donegal Town for an Irish Coffee and some weaving
.

Catriona's dad, Denis Mulhearn, is a fifth generation Donegal weaver

The Irish House produce and offer authentic Irish made products that represent the best of Donegal & Irish made Tweed clothing and Crafts in the tradition of their forefathers and in doing so, support and promote many local businesses. Catriona and her family will offer a complimentary Irish Coffee and will talk us through the history and process of Donegal Tweed making.


5:15pm
Board the coach for a visit to the famous Biddy’s O' Barnes Roadside Tavern.

Biddy's O'Barnes is a famous roadside Pub in Barnesmore Gap, Co. Donegal, Ireland. Since it's days as an Inn, dating back to the 18th century, a time when the Coach was the main form of transport, Biddy's was a stopping point, where horses were rested, and travellers relaxed before the next stage of their long and tiring journey through the Gap. Today we continue that tradition before heading back to Harvey’s Point where you will have time to freshen up before dinner.

The Total weekend foodie break package includes:

• Three night stay in a Lodge Cabin at Harveys Point Hotel
• Three Full Irish Breakfast Feasts
• Sunday Carvery Lunch Banquet
• The Donegal Food Tour with Zack Gallagher
• Dinner on one evening of your choice in Harveys Point's award winning Lakeside Restaurant
• A Cooking Demonstration with Wine Tasting on Tuesday
• Homemade cookies and fresh fruit on arrival
• Free WIFI & Car Parking

And this only costs €318 per person sharing,
for absolutely everything!

This special Irish Food Tour break is running from Sunday 21st May through to Tuesday 23rd May and Numbers are Limited so, to Book go to:
https://harveyslodge.com/package/culinary-experience-break-donegal/ 
or call Harvey's Point Hotel, today, on +353 (0)74 97 22208

I look forward to welcoming you all to Donegal and sharing our Donegal Food story!

Zack

Finals of Ireland's Apprentice Chef take place on 11th May

On Thursday 11th May, secondary school students will get stirring to complete the final service in the 2017 Flogas Ireland and Failte Ireland sponsored Apprentice Chef Programme. The objective of the programme is to steer students towards eating a healthier and more balanced diet that will improve their mental and physical health and to also promote the catering industry as a career choice.

Since October 2016 over 500 students have enjoyed a series of demonstrations and workshops as part of the programme which aims to promote the importance of healthy eating to enhance physical and mental well-being, encourage young people to consider a culinary career to help combat the current chef crisis in Ireland and contribute to the development of self confidence and self esteem.

The young finalists will enjoy an authentic professional kitchen experience and serve restaurant standard dishes ranging from “green tea smoked chicken with cauliflower rice, apple & fennel slaw” to “pistachio, courgette and lemon cake” to a panel of judges. The Apprentice Chef Finals are being held in the Hotel, Culinary & Tourism Department at the Institute of Technology, Tralee, where they will have to produce their dishes for tasting and judging by a panel of independent judges.

Having been mentored by accomplished Kerry chefs Mark Doe and Louise Brosnan, who recently completed a stage in Belfast with Danni Barry, Ireland’s only female Michelin Star chef, and supported by nutritional therapist, Susie Cox, each dish presented by the students will have a “Good Mood Food” influence.

Apprentice Chef mentor Louise Brosnan

This is the fifth year of the Apprentice Chef Programme which was established by Mark Doe of Just Cooking Cookery School in Firies, Co Kerry and Mark Murphy, senior lecturer in Culinary Arts at IT Tralee. 

Apprentice Chef mentor Mark Doe

Co-founder Mark Doe said, “Since we started the Apprentice Chef in 2012, over two thousand secondary school students have attended workshops and cookery demonstrations. In our initial year we had a modest cohort of students from Kerry and Limerick. In year 2 students from Co Cork participated and for the first time this year, we were delighted to collaborate with Waterford IT and students from Tipperary, Wexford and Waterford have joined the programme. We are continuously impressed by the standard of dishes produced and this inspires us to build on the programme’s success and we will continue in our efforts to take it to national level. We are indebted to our sponsors, Flogas Ireland and Failte Ireland, for their support to date and we look forward to future collaboration.”

 George Hennessy, Apprentice Chef Winner 2016

The inaugural 2012 winner, Julia O Doherty from Hazelwood College in Dromcollogher, Co Limerick went on to study pharmacy at UCC. On International Women’s Day this year she contacted the Apprentice Chef team saying, “I find that there are many similarities between cooking and the pharmacy course. While I swapped my chef’s jacket for a lab coat and safety glasses, my goal in cooking still holds through in many dosage forms – the product must make the recipient happy. In a nutshell, it goes without saying that my success in the competition has not only inspired me to thrive in the development of my culinary skills but also in my academic studies and my pursuits in extra-curricular activities." Julia added, "When I have an exam approaching or a tough assignment due, I reflect on the challenges that I met and overcame in preparation for the competition. As a result, I have gained self-confidence and public speaking skills which are invaluable at third level.”

All finalists receive a specially commissioned Ambri chopping board, a Just Cooking cookbook and their Apprentice Chef monogrammed chef uniform.

The Supreme Apprentice Chef will also receive a set of professional knives, €1000 equipment for their school, a year’s subscription to Easyfood Magazine and a styling session at Easyfood Magazine HQ this summer. A specially commissioned perpetual trophy will also be presented to the winner.

For more information on the Apprentice Chef visit www.theapprenticechef.ie and www.facebook.com/theapprenticechef and Follow them on Twitter on www.twitter.com/theappchef


Best of Success to all involved!
Zack