Renowned Irish chef, Gary O’Hanlon, has teamed up with Fáilte Ireland to call on chefs across the country to participate in a Taste of Place training programme.
Fáilte Ireland has identified a growing trend, at home and internationally, of tourists seeking out locally sourced dishes and the stories behind them. The Taste of Place training programme is designed to help chefs and culinary teams tap into this trend by providing stand-out local and seasonal cuisine to tourists.
The programme will arm chefs with insights into how food motivates the tourist, provide the latest tourism trends and culinary concepts and underline the business benefits of sourcing locally.
Fáilte Ireland is calling on chefs to sign up to take part in the two-day workshops this October and November by emailing tastetheisland@failteireland.ie.
The workshops will take place in the following locations:
• 15 – 16th October, Galway Mayo Institute of Technology, Cookery demonstration with Jess Murphy
• 22 – 23rd October, Cork Institute of Technology, Cookery demonstration with Gary O’Hanlon
• 5 – 6th November, Airfield Estate, Cookery demonstration with Luke Mathews
• 26 – 27th Novermber, Athlone Institute of Technology, Cookery demonstration with Gary O’Hanlon
Top Chefs Gary O’Hanlon, Executive Head Chef at Chateau du Coudreceau, France, Jess Murphy, Head Chef at Kai Restaurant, Galway and Luke Mathews, Airfield Estate are leading the two-day workshops. Chefs and cooks responsible for food preparation, presentation and menu development, will see first-hand a variety of dishes demonstrated using the best local ingredients.
Tracey Coughlan, Food Tourism Manager with Fáilte Ireland commented:
“This new programme is designed to support Fáilte Ireland’s latest three-year food and drink initiative ‘Taste the Island’ by equipping chefs across Ireland with the knowledge on the power and benefits of using local produce to deliver an unforgettable visitor experience. We have found that there is a growing trend, at home and internationally, of tourists seeking out locally sourced dishes and the stories behind them. This growing interest in experiencing local food presents an ideal opportunity for chefs to create and deliver authentic food experiences that are reflective of the area. This new programme has been developed by Fáilte Ireland, to ensure that visitors to Ireland enjoy a real taste of place.”
Award winning Chef Gary O’Hanlon added:
“Irish Food is the best it has ever been. Our natural produce is unparalleled internationally and today’s chefs need to work smarter than ever to ensure we put our best foot forward to deliver menus that are reflective of Ireland’s growing reputation. I am thrilled to help deliver Fáilte Ireland’s Taste of Place programme and I commend their vision and drive in promoting local produce through this programme. I’m looking forward to working with other like-minded chefs and culinary teams to reinforce the message about the many positive benefits of using quality locally sourced food and beverage.”
TASTE OF PLACE CHARTER COMMITMENT
• Promote and celebrate Taste the Island.
• Strive to use produce from the island of Ireland.
• Prioritise sourcing local food and drink.
• Increase awareness of local provenance.
• Embrace a seasonal mindset.
• Strive to deliver quality and value for money.
• Strive to operate sustainably and minimise and manage waste responsibly.
• Include a signature Taste of Place menu item that is unique and varies by season to give customers a true sense of your locality.
Taste the Island
This Autumn, Fáilte Ireland have launched a new campaign which celebrates Ireland’s food and drink, called Taste the Island. An all Island campaign, Taste the Island is showcasing the very best of Ireland’s food and drink across all sectors, from restaurants to cafes, food trail and tours, farmers and fishermen, hotels and B&Bs, pubs and breweries. We have been shown to be global leaders when it comes to the quality of our produce and the sustainability around it, and Taste the Island is our opportunity to tell the world about it.
As part of this exciting and inspirational campaign Fáilte Ireland have developed a training programme that works with businesses to step up their offering around local and seasonal food and really draws out of our food credentials. This programme is called Taste of Place. It is a unique programme which gives your food and beverage business the opportunity to realise the hugely positive benefits that can be leveraged from a quality locally sourced food and beverage offering.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND? The chef/cook responsible for food preparation and presentation, menu development and food and drink ordering.
DAY 1 : An introduction to how food motivates the tourist. Participants will discover the latest tourism trends and culinary concepts and learn about the business benefits of sourcing local. Food cost control and kitchen management guidelines will be delivered to assist operators in achieving increased profitability whilst offering enhanced value.
DAY 2 : This practical day will see a variety of dishes demonstrated using the best local ingredients, ranging from lite bites, sandwiches, soups and salads to artisan sharing platters and desserts while also getting an opportunity to meet local food and drink producers.
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