A List of the Michelin Star and Bib Gourmand Restaurants and Chefs in Ireland, that are on Twitter

Here's a list of Michelin Guide awarded Chefs & Restaurants in Ireland that are on Twitter. I've included the names and the Twitter Account details for all the Chefs and Restaurants in Ireland that have attained Michelin Stars and Bib Gourmands - this list is not associated with the Michelin Guide company itself.

The Michelin Guide - The best restaurants as selected by Michelin Guide inspectors

I've included below a Twitter Follow Button so you can easily Follow all the Michelin Selected selected Chefs that are in Ireland! In cases where the head chef doesn't have a personal Twitter account I have mentioned the restaurant account, if available. If neither the Restaurant nor Chef have a Twitter presence I have just given a website link, but if you're out for a bit to eat there soon, tell them to get on Twitter!

Because of the nature of the catering trade, a list like this will need to be updated, so do leave a comment when there are any updates that need to be made in the future.

If you Follow all these Restaurants and Chefs on Twitter you'll have a wonderful insight into what's really going on in the kitchens of those at the forefront of Modern Irish Food!

**Two Michelin Stars Restaurants and Chefs
Excellent cooking, worth a detour
on Twitter in Ireland

Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin City
Patrick Guilbaud and Kieran Glennon

*One Michelin Star Restaurants and Chefs
Very good cooking in its category
on Twitter in Ireland

Aniar in Galway City

JP McMahon, Ultan Cooke, Aniar Galway 





Bon Appetit in Malahide, Co Dublin
Oliver Dunne and Bon App Malahide



Campagne in Kilkenny City
Garrett Byrne 


Chapter One in Dublin City
Ross Lewis 


l'Ecrivain in Dublin
Derry Clarke 


The House Restaurant at the Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore, Co. Waterford
Martijn Kajuiter and Cliff House Hotel



Lady Helen at the Mount Juliet Hotel near Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny
Ken Harker



Loam in Galway City
Enda McEvoy





Bib Gourmands Restaurants and Chefs
Good food at a moderate price
on Twitter in Ireland

Republic of Ireland Bib Gourmands on Twitter

The Courthouse Restaurant, Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan 

Conor Mee and Charlotte Carr

Deasy’s Harbour Bar & Seafood Restaurant, Ring, Clonakilty, Co Cork 
Caitlin Ruth


Sha-Roe Bistro Clonegall, Co Carlow (not on Twitter)
Henry and Stephanie Stone
Facebook

The Chart House, Dingle, Co Kerry 
Jim McCarthy. Head Chef Noel Enright


Giovannelli, Killorglin, Co. Kerry  (not on Twitter)
Antoinette and Daniele Giovannelli
Facebook

Pichet, Dublin City
Stephan Gibson and Pichet Dublin

Pig's Ear, Dublin City
Andrea Hussey, Stephen McAllister at The Pigs Ear and Head Chef Damien Derwin

Cafe Hans, Cashel, Co. Tipperary
Stefan Matthia

Etto, Dublin City
Owners Liz Matthews and Simon Barrett


Downstairs, Clontarf, Co. Dublin
Restaurant Downstairs


Aldridge Lodge, Duncannon, Co. Wexford
Owners Billy Whitty and Joanne Harding


Fishy Fishy, Kinsale, Co Cork 
Martin Shanahan


Wild Honey Inn, Lisdoonvarna, Clare
Aiden McGrath and Kate Sweeney



Brasserie at Bon Appétit, Malahide, Co Dublin
Oliver Dunne and Bon Appétit, Malahide



Northern Ireland Bib Gourmands on Twitter

Oregano, Ballyclare, Co. Antrim
Dermot Regan and Oregano Belfast



Bar + Grill at James Street South, Belfast City
The Bar Grill


Deanes at Queens, Belfast City
Deanes Restaurants, Michael Deane and Chris Fearon




Home, Belfast City
Home Restaurant, Mourne Seafood and Ben Arnold




Coppi, Belfast City
Coppi Restaurant, Jonny Phillips and Tony O'Neill




Fontana, Holywood, Co. Down
Fontana Restaurant


Old Schoolhouse Inn, Newtownards, Belfast, Co. Down
The Old School House and Will Brown




Follow the Michelin Guide Team on Twitter

I hope you enjoy connecting with these great restaurants and chefs as much as I do!

And you can also Follow Me on Twitter  @IrishFoodGuide too!



Zack

The 14 Food Ingredients that must now be Declared as Allergens on Food Labelling

The Food Information Regulations are changing and new rules come into force on 13 December 2014.

This requires food businesses providing non-prepacked food e.g. restaurants, delis, canteens, takeaways, cafes, retail outlets etc., to indicate to consumers the use of any of the 14 allergenic ingredients listed below that are used in the production or preparation of food.

The new EU food labeling rules, adopted by the European Parliament and the Council in 2011 (Food Information for Consumers Regulation), are claimed to ensure that consumers receive clearer, more comprehensive and accurate information on food content and help them make informed choices about what they eat.

The basic principles of food labelling remain the same in providing safe food which is honestly described and presented continue and the following information is still required on prepacked food labelling: 

• A true name or description of the food 
• The ingredients it contains, in descending weight order
• How it should be handled, stored, cooked or prepared 
• Who manufactured, packed or imported it 
• Origin information if its absence would mislead 
• Allergenic ingredients identified on the label 
• Specific information declaring whether the food is irradiated or contains genetically modified material or aspartame, high caffeine, sweeteners, packaging gases, phytosterols etc. 
• Net quantity in grams, kilograms, litres or centilitres (or abbreviations thereof)
• Alcoholic strength where there is more than 1.2% alcohol by volume (alcohol x%vol.) 

The new regulations replace the current food labelling requirements and introduce new ones including:

• Minimum font size on labels
• Mandatory nutrition labelling
• A clearer indication of allergens in the ingredients list and the need to be able to tell consumers about allergen contents in non-packaged food
• Extension to the rules for country of origin labelling.

The 14 Food Ingredients that now must be Declared as Allergens in the EU are:

1. Cereals containing Gluten namely: wheat (such as spelt and khorasan wheat), rye, barley, oats or their hybridised strains, and products thereof, except:

(a) wheat based glucose syrups including dextrose
(b) wheat based maltodextrins
(c) glucose syrups based on barley
(d) cereals used for making alcoholic distillates including ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin

Paper wrapped Labels are ideal for freshly baked breads

2. Crustaceans and products thereof

3. Eggs and products thereof

4. Fish and products thereof, except:

(a) fish gelatine used as carrier for vitamin or carotenoid preparations
(b) fish gelatine or Isinglass used as fining agent in beer and wine

5. Peanuts and products thereof

6. Soybeans and products thereof, except:

(a) fully refined soybean oil and fat
(b) natural mixed tocopherols (E306), natural D-alpha tocopherol, natural D-alpha tocopherol acetate, and natural D-alpha tocopherol succinate from soybean sources
(c) vegetable oils derived phytosterols and phytosterol esters from soybean sources
(d) plant stanol ester produced from vegetable oil sterols from soybean sources

7. Milk and products thereof (including lactose), except:

(a) whey used for making alcoholic distillates including ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin
(b) lactitol

8. Nuts namely: Almonds (Amygdalus communis L.), Hazelnuts (Corylus avellana), Walnuts (Juglans regia), Cashews (Anacardium occidentale), Pecan Nuts (Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch), Brazil Nuts (Bertholletia excelsa), Pistachio Nuts (Pistacia vera), Macadamia or Queensland Nuts (Macadamia ternifolia), and products thereof, except for nuts used for making alcoholic distillates including ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin.

9. Celery and products thereof

10. Mustard and products thereof

11. Sesame Seeds and products thereof

12. Sulphur dioxide and Sulphites at concentrations of more than 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/litre in terms of the total SO2 which are to be calculated for products as proposed ready for consumption or as reconstituted according to the instructions of the manufacturers

13. Lupin and products thereof (lupin flour is used quite widely in bread, cakes and pastries)

14. Molluscs and products thereof

These 14 specified allergenic ingredients must be declared in foods. 

Other ingredients to which some people may have an allergy or intolerance do not need to be declared, although the information should be provided voluntarily.

Owners/Managers of Food premises need to make all staff aware of the 14 allergenic ingredients and put a system in place to identify and record the allergenic ingredients being received and handled by the food business to enable you to meet the food allergen declaration requirements.

For further information on Allergens in food production and much more, go to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland website at www.fsai.ie/faq/allergens.html and Follow them on Twitter @FSAIinfo

Zack

Love a Real Tree this Christmas and Support the Jack and Jill Foundation

Christmas Tree Growers donate 500 trees to Jack & Jill Foundation

Wicklow grower, Christy Kavanagh, has been crowned the Christmas Tree Grower Supreme Champion 2014 in the national Christmas tree growing competition. This is the fifth time that Christy has received the accolade for his Nordmann Fir range in the annual competition organized by the Christmas Tree Growers Association. As an experienced and avid grower, he is enthusiastic about the benefits real Christmas Trees bring to the celebrations, noting that the Nordmann Fir is the most popular type of tree, accounting for 75% of trees sold in Ireland.

The Christmas tree harvest is currently underway due to excellent growing and favourable harvesting conditions, according to the Irish Christmas Tree Growers.  Bord Bia estimates that approximately 500,000 trees will be harvested this year by Irish growers, 300,000 for the home market and 200,000 for export, mainly to the UK.

‘Love a Real Tree’ Campaign

This Christmas, the Irish Christmas Tree Growers Association has launched a new initiative, ‘Love a Real Tree’, to highlight the benefits of choosing a real Christmas tree for your home. This new campaign was developed to include a logo and website (www.lovearealtree.ie) which highlight the benefits of a real tree versus and an artificial tree, in particular that real Irish Christmas trees are environmentally friendly as they can be recycled, while the land used for growing them can be replanted or returned to traditional agriculture.  

Speaking about the campaign, Christy Kavanagh said, “The look, the scent and the very feel of a real tree are all part of the Christmas tradition! Growing the perfect tree takes more than planting a tree and hoping for the best. It takes seven to ten years to produce a 2 metre tall tree, and this means year round care for the life of the tree by growers to produce the best tree possible. When you buy a real Christmas tree, carefully grown and cultured locally, there is that extra special knowledge that you are supporting nature and the environment.”

The Irish Christmas Tree Growers Association represents the major body of producers and suppliers of top grade Christmas Trees in Ireland, with over 100 members nationwide. Ireland has developed a solid reputation for the production of high quality trees for both the domestic and export Christmas tree market.

Christy Kavanagh of the Irish Christmas Tree Growers Association

Christmas Tree Growers Donate 500 trees to Jack & Jill Foundation

The Irish Christmas Tree Growers Association is donating 500 four foot Irish grown Christmas trees to the children’s charity, Jack and Jill Foundation. These trees will be used by the charity to stage a one day giveaway on Saturday, 6^th December at two locations; Leopardstown Racecourse and Newbridge Retail Park. The trees are available for an on the spot donation of €16 and are ideal for apartments, offices or smaller rooms. 

About the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation

The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation was founded by Jonathan Irwin and his wife Senator Mary Ann O’Brien based on their own experience caring for their son Jack at home until he passed away in December 1997. This experience became the blue print for the Jack & Jill model of home nursing care which supports 300 children with severe disabilities as a result of brain damage today and the Foundation has supported over 1,800 families (county breakdown below) since 1997. The service includes funding, home visits, advice, information, lobbying and bereavement support and up to 64 hours of home nursing care per month at a cost of €1,024 per family.  It also includes end of life care of up to 80 hours per month at a cost of €1,280 with a clear focus of supporting parents who decide to take their child home to die. Jack & Jill requires €2.7 million per annum to operate this critical service and, with less than 20% coming from the State, the Foundation depends on the generosity of the public to keep going and on wonderful fundraisers like this, with every €16 raised funding 1 hour of home nursing care

Christy Kavanagh with Jonathan Irwin from the Jack and Jill Foundation

Your Guide to Choosing a Real Christmas Tree

The Irish Christmas Tree Growers Association's top Tips for Buying your Christmas tree:

• Try not to buy your Christmas tree until you are ready to set it up. In many countries, such as France, the Christmas tree is not set up until Christmas Eve and taken down after January 6^th.
• After you bring your Christmas tree home, keep it in a cool place like an unheated garage, porch or patio until you are ready to bring it indoors.
• Set it up in a cool area (less than 15 centigrade) and as far away as possible from sources of heat including fireplaces, radiators and vents. This will prolong the life of the tree for the holiday season.
• Place it in a "water stand". Most Christmas tree sellers have these available. The stand has a wide   base and bolts for giving the tree stability, and a basin for water to keep your tree fresh.
• Just before standing your tree in the water stand, you should make a fresh saw-cut, straight across the stem, at least 3 cm above the original cut. This fresh cut allows the tree to absorb water easily.
• Check out your local County Council website for Christmas Tree Recycling locations near you.

Irish Christmas Tree Facts

• Production is mainly concentrated in counties Wexford, Carlow, Wicklow, Tipperary and Cork where soils and climate combine to produce high yields.
• Approximately 8 million trees of all ages are currently growing on circa. 1, 500 hectares
• There are approximately 10 significant producers and 70 to 80 smaller growers.
•  The farm gate value of current domestic and export sales is estimated at €10 million, plus retail values of €25 million
• The three most popular varieties of Christmas tree are the Nordmann Fir (accounting for 75% of trees sold in Ireland), the Noble Fir (accounting for 15% of trees sold in Ireland) and the Lodgepole Pine.

Why buy a real Christmas Tree?

• Locally grown Christmas trees are really fresh due to the reduced travel stress on them.
• There is a tremendous variety and a large range of different size trees available to meet your particular needs.
• Once cared for properly, non-shedding trees, such as the Nordmann Fir, Noble Fir and Lodgepole Pine, will not lose their needles.
• Each tree is cultured as an individual tree and produced to the highest quality standards from the time they are planted right through to delivery.
• Your real Christmas tree is a natural resource and therefore can be recycled.  This is in contrast to artificial trees, which are usually made of metal and plastic materials and use oils and minerals in their manufacture.  An artificial tree may last up to six years in your home but takes centuries to break down in landfill sites.
• The forest environment is protected by the fact that Christmas trees are continually being planted to replace those trees being harvested.
• As well as adding to the beauty of our landscape, growing Christmas trees produces large amounts of oxygen and removes the harmful carbon dioxide or “greenhouse gas” from our atmosphere.  Real trees also provide natural habitats for forest animals and birds.

All the funds raised go to the charity with each €16 donation accounting for one hour of home nursing care for one Jack and Jill baby. Visit www.jackandjill.ie for more information.

For more tips on buying and caring for your real Christmas tree, visit www.lovearealtree.ie.  

Zack