Winner chosen in grand final cook-off of Fáilte Ireland recipe competition
21/04/2008
Liz Moore, Belle Isle School of Cookery, was yesterday selected as the winner in the Lakelands & Inland Waterways Recipe Competition, developed by Fáilte Ireland. The competition is part of the Lakeland and Inland Waterways Initiative designed to develop and market tourism along the waterways of the inland counties of Ireland. The 6 finalists competed for the overall prize in a Grand Final Cook-Off on Thursday, April 17th in Athlone Institute of Technology.
The other finalists were Dagmar Hilty from An Cupain Caife in Mountshannon, Co Clare, Ronan McNulty from the Radisson Farnham Estate, Co Cavan, Ciara Morris from Cornamona Restaurant in Belmont, Co Offaly, Fergal Moran from The Old Forge Restaurant in Athlone, Co Roscommon and Peter Ward from Country Choice in Nenagh, Co Tipperary.
Maeve McKeever, Product Development Officer, Fáilte Ireland said “Food is central to all tourist experiences. A large proportion of the time which visitors spend on holiday is spent experiencing food in some way, either consuming it, purchasing it or learning about it and its link to the locale. It is therefore vital that their experience of food is memorable, and enhances their overall visit to the area. Food can also be important as a means of guiding tourists around a particular area, by linking it with other activities available to them, such as angling, cruising, walking and heritage.”
The competition was launched in October 2007 with the main aim to encourage food providers in the Lakelands & Inland Waterways area, (i.e. Pubs, Bed & Breakfasts, fine dining Restaurants, busy Hotels) to use local ingredients as well as local history in their food and menu preparation, in order to present consumers with a truly memorable eating experience. Providers were encouraged to develop recipes which have a link or strong history with the immediate area or which may be a new twist on a traditional recipe from the past.
Kevin Kidney, General Manager, Fáilte Ireland East and Midlands, said “This initiative is part of the focused approach which we will be taking from now on and reflects the full range of services which we can offer within Failte Ireland. This also demonstrates the continuing and improved cooperation between the agencies involved in Tourism. We are delighted to host this event in AIT which has long held strategic links with Failte Ireland.”
The finalists were judged on a broad range of criteria; from the fundamentals of cookery including taste, ingredients, imagination etc., to the background history of the recipe and how it relates to the locale in which the producers are situated. A listing of the finalist recipes, where the ingredients were sourced, and where they can be enjoyed will be produced for distribution to visitors to the area.
ENDS
April, 2008
For further information please contact:
Fáilte Ireland
Mary Cosgrave
(01) 8847145/ 087 226 0411
or
Louise Tolerton
(01) 8847135/ 086 6086578
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