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

Dublin Foodie Caroline Byrne is appointed new Secretary General of Euro-Toques Ireland

Caroline Byrne has been appointed as the new Secretary General of Euro-Toques Ireland. Caroline is taking over from Ruth Hegarty, who worked with Euro-Toques Ireland for the past 11 years. 

Caroline Byrne takes over as Secretary General of Euro-Toques Ireland

Caroline is best known in the industry as chief Dublin Editor of John and Sally McKenna’s Food Guides (formerly known as Bridgestone Food Guides) and for her involvement with the TASTE Council of Ireland, the steering committee for artisan food producers. Previously, Caroline was editor of food industry trade magazine ShelfLife and has experience in PR, Marketing, Business Development and Social Media through her work with small and medium size food businesses and consumer foods focussed PR agencies.

Commissioner General Wade Murphy and the Board of Commissioners welcome Caroline to Euro-Toques Ireland and look forward to working with her in the next phase of the organisation’s development.

Euro-toques – the European Community of Chefs – was established in Brussels in 1986 by the top chefs in the region. Their purpose was to form a network of chefs committed to quality local food sourcing and to be a voice for the industry to protect Europe’s traditional foods and culinary heritage.

Myrtle Allen of Ballymaloe House was one of the founding members and went on to found Euro-toques Ireland the same year. Euro-toques Ireland lobbies on a variety of food policy issues and is heavily involved in education, focussing on food education for children and skills training for chefs, in addition to organising food-related events and activities for both industry and the public. 

You can follow Caroline on Twitter at @DublinFoodie

For more info on Euro-Toques see: www.euro-toques.ie.

Zack

Gerard Collier of Fisherman’s Catch, Clogherhead, wins BIM Young Fishmonger 2015

Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), the Irish Seafood Development Agency, has named Gerard Collier of Fisherman’s Catch, Clogherhead, Co. Louth, as the winner of the BIM Young Fishmonger 2015 competition. The awards event was held yesterday, in the Radisson St. Helen’s Hotel, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin.

BIM Young Fishmonger of the Year 2015, Gerard Collier with Martin Shanahan

Gerard was selected as winner from a shortlist of five finalists, all of whom demonstrated to the judges, an exceptional high standard in technical expertise, product knowledge and customer service. Martin Shanahan, owner of Fishy Fishy Café & Restaurant, author and TV broadcaster was the guest speaker at the event, where he congratulated the finalists and commended their passion for the seafood industry.

This is the second year of the BIM Young Fishmonger Awards, developed by BIM to recognise and reward young fishmongers. Their aim is to encourage new entrants into the business and to ultimately raise the bar across the Irish fishing sector.

The judges were very impressed with the knowledge, skills
and commitment demonstrated by all the finalists

The other finalists in BIM’s Young Fishmonger 2015 competition were: Stevie Connolly, Connolly’s Seafood, Rathmines, Dublin 6; Neil Turner, Caviston’s Food Emporium, Glasthule, Co. Dublin; Mateusz Kowalik, Doran’s on the Pier, Howth, Co. Dublin and Gary Quinn, Stephen’s Fish Market, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath.

Speaking at the awards ceremony today, Donal Buckley, Business Development & Innovation Director at BIM said; ‘Our role, as the Seafood Development Agency, is to develop the retail trade in terms of seafood presentation, training and food safety management. We see this initiative as an exciting component of this strategy." 

He added, "Congratulations to our worthy winner Gerard Collier and his colleagues at Fisherman’s Catch, I hope this experience and the competition prize fund allows you to further develop what is a very successful family business."

As overall winner of the competition, Gerard will be offered a study trip to France, a cheque for €1,000, a set of professional knives and a specially designed trophy. Along with the other finalists he will also benefit from a free placement on BIM’s retail development workshop. As part of their prize, all of the finalists have already enjoyed an inspiring masterclass in seafood cookery with Martin Shanahan.

Fishing Boats at Killybegs Harbour in Donegal

Throughout the competition, the judges put all the finalists through their paces with three different stages of scoring. This included  two unannounced visits to their shops to assess product knowledge and customer service and a practical test where they were asked to fillet and prepare a range of fish and shellfish for customer use, under time constraints. 

Finalists were also required to discuss their plans, opportunities and challenges for their business. Throughout all the stages, the judges were very impressed with the knowledge, skills and commitment demonstrated by all the finalists. Well done Gerard!

Zack

22 year old Matthew Logan is Euro-toques Young Chef of the Year 2014

Matthew (Matt) Logan, a chef de partie at Chapter One restaurant, Dublin, was awarded the coveted 2014 Euro-toques Young Chef of the Year title earlier today. 

22 year old Matthew Logan is Euro-toques Young Chef of the Year 2014 

The annual Euro-Toques Young Chef final took place today, at an exclusive pop up event on Capel Street and Matt was one of five finalists who battled it out over the past two months to win this esteemed title. His prize includes an all expenses paid work-period at the world-renowned The Square Restaurant in London. There Matt will work under the direction of two star Michelin chef Philip Howard, who was this year’s special guest judge. Philip is also co-proprietor of the Ledbury and Kitchen W8, both also in London.

The other four finalists were: Luke Ahearne, aged 22, Chef de Partie at Campagne, Co. Kilkenny, John Fitzmaurice, aged 25, Sous Chef at the Mustard Seed, Co. Limerick, Chris Fullam, aged 21, 3rd year Culinary Arts student at DIT, Cathal Brugha Street and Ian McHale, aged 26, Senior Chef de Partie also at Chapter One restaurant.

Euro-toques, the European Community of Chefs, was established in Brussels in 1986 by a group of top chefs in Europe. Their purpose was to form a network of chefs committed to quality local food sourcing and to be a voice for the industry to protect Europe’s traditional foods and culinary heritage. Myrtle Allen of Ballymaloe House was one of the founding members and she went on to found Euro-toques Ireland the same year. 

In recent years, the Euro-Toques Ireland Young Chef competition has evolved, incorporating social media elements and exciting new event formats but the reason behind it has remained the same. The competition is a search for Ireland’s best young chefs, who show creativity, skill and superb cooking talent. The core value of all Euro-Toques chefs is a passion for local and seasonal sourcing of food product.

The competition is now in it’s 24th year and focused on the theme “No Chef is an Island”. Euro-toques, in association with Fáilte Ireland and industry sponsor La Rousse Foods, is a search to find a young Food Ambassador for Ireland, who can contribute to developing an identity for Irish cooking and to promote Ireland’s culinary reputation at home and abroad.

Guest Judge Philip Howard is impressed with Matt Logan's Euro-Toques final dish

Speaking after being crowned Euro-toques Young Chef of the Year, Matt said,“I am absolutely delighted with the result. The competition has been a huge challenge and has really tested my abilities in lots of ways. It’s been a very intense few weeks, but there is a lot of intensity to being a chef and that is what we thrive on. It has been a great buzz working with the other lads and a huge honour to cook for the judges. The whole experience has been great, tough work, but great. I am looking forward to representing Euro-toques and Fáilte Ireland over the next year and going to work with Phil Howard at the Square – and thrilled to have the opportunity”.

Chefs JP McMahon, Philip Howard, Paul Kelly and Euro-Toques Ireland President chef Wade Murphy

Commenting at the final, Wade Murphy, President of Euro-toques Ireland said, “The 5 young chefs here tonight have gone through a rigorous selection process and some very tough tasks. Their work ethic and passion for what they do is inspiring. I loved seeing the seriousness with which they approached each stage, but also the camaraderie between them and the enjoyment they clearly took in each challenge. They are all extremely talented chefs and they are the people who will build Ireland’s culinary scene and reputation in the years to come." He continued, "It's always very difficult to have just one winner, but the points decide it in the end. Matt consistently showed great skills, creativity and dedication to his craft throughout the competition and we are delighted to announce him as Euro-toques Young Chef of the Year 2014”.

Failte Ireland Food Tourism Manager, Helen McDaid

Helen McDaid, Food Tourism Manager at Fáilte Ireland said, “In the last few years, as Ireland’s food revolution has gathered pace, Fáilte Ireland has worked closely with Euro-toques Ireland and their Young Chef of the Year competition as a key means of identifying the new wave of inspired Irish chefs to establish and promote ‘Irish cuisine’ in both domestic and international markets.” This partnership has allowed the competition to reach new heights and new audiences ensuring it will provide an excellent opportunity for a future sponsor who shares these goals.

The event also gave the finalists the chance to tantalise the taste buds of Ireland’s most celebrated chefs and almost 200 other guests as they served out their own signature dishes. The five young chefs were assisted on the night by a professional team consisting of Declan Maxwell (Chapter One Restaurant) acting as front of house, Peter Everett (Restaurant Forty One at Residence) overseeing the kitchen and special guest MC’s for the evening David and Stephen Flynn from The Happy Pear.

Congrats to Matt on an excellent performance throughout the Euro-Toques Young Chef 2014 competition and we wish him a continued successful career as an award-winning Irish Chef.

Zack

The Simpsons co-creator, Sam Simon, saves Irish "Gay" Bull

Benjy, a clinically declared Gay Charolais Bull, from Co Mayo, Ireland, farmer, has escaped the butcher’s block after Sam Simon, the co-creator of The Simpsons cartoon, stepped in to pay the balance of the animals retirement home payments.

The bull had failed to impregnate any of the cows in a Mayo farmer’s herd showing more interest in the other bulls on the farm!

Mr Simon pledged to pay the €6,250 (£5,000) needed to save Benjy, after a crowd funding campaign was set up by the Animal Rights Action Network (Aran.) Another €5000 had already been raised through donations and Mr Simon offered to make up the balance.

Sam Simon, who is suffering from terminal cancer and is donating his $100m fortune to charities, is a long-time animal activist and his contribution will allow Benjy the Gay Bull to live out his days at the Hillside Animal Sanctuary in England. Plans are being made to transport the grateful bull to his retirement home in December.

Sam Simon, along with Matt Groening and James L Brooks created the cartoon series, The Simpsons, in 1989. He led the original team of the popular animation's writers.

Mr Simon was diagnosed with colon cancer two years ago and was given only three months to live, though he continues to fight the disease. He is well known as a philanthropist with a special interest in animal protection.

Zack

Help make sure our local Irish Seafood is named correctly

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) are inviting input into Ireland's Fishery and Aquaculture Products Commercial Designation List. All EU Member States are required to publish a list of the commercial designations together with their scientific names of fishery and aquaculture products, accepted in their territory.

This list must indicate the scientific name for each species, its name in the official language or languages of the Member State and, where applicable, any other name or names accepted or permitted locally or regionally.

Commercial designations must be used when marketing fish in the EU and are provided to consumers at the point of retail.

The inclusion of the common names or local names of fish or aquaculture products in the commercial
designation list helps ensure that consumers are provided with accurate and consistent information and are then able to make informed choices. This is where we can all help out as there are many different names used for the same species of fish, in different parts of Ireland.

Sprat, also know in Donegal as "Sprit"

For example, here in Donegal we use both the names "Sprit" and "Sprat" for that small tasty oily fish, Sprattus sprattus, which is a member of the Clupeidae family that includes Herrings and Sardines. It may only be a small variation in the name but if these local names are not recorded, they will get lost.

Irish White Fish, Oily Fish and Shellfish, in Gaelic. pic Somethingfishy.ie

On the 13th December 2014, the current legislation S.I. 320 of 2003 and its associated list of commercial
designations will be replaced as EU Regulation No. 1379/20131 will apply from this date. Therefore this is
now an appropriate time to ensure that the commercial designation list includes all the relevant
species. See http://www.fsai.ie/uploadedFiles/Reg1379_2013.pdf Articles 35-37 for name references.

The FSAI invites all interested parties to submit their comments on the draft Fishery and Aquaculture
Commercial Designations List that accompanies this consultation.

Submissions to the Consultation
If you are making a submission, please state whether the views expressed are personal or are
being made on behalf of an organisation. If the views of an organisation are being submitted it
should be made clear what organisation is being represented.

The Closing Date for Submissions is 26th November 2014

Submissions may be e-mailed to: consultation@fsai.ie
or may be posted to:
Consultations, Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Abbey Court, Lwr Abbey Street, Dublin 1.
See also www.fsai.ie/consultations/

Zack

Six Irish Cookbooks shortlisted for the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards 2014

The Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner will be held on Wednesday 26th November and this year six Irish Cookbooks have been shortlisted for the Avonmore Cookbook of the Year award.

The Irish Book Awards and dinner has become a major event in the Irish literary calendar, bringing together the entire literary community – readers, authors, booksellers, publishers and even librarians!

The six Irish Cookbooks shortlisted for the Avonmore Cookbook of the Year 2014 are:

The Happy Pear - David and Stephen Flynn

(published by Penguin Ireland)

All Things Sweet - Rachel Allen

(published by HarperCollins)

The Nation's Favourite Food Fast - Neven Maguire

 (published by Gill & Macmillan)

From Lynda's Table - Lynda Booth 

(published by DCS Publishing)

Back to Basics - Kevin Dundon

(published by Mitchell Beazley)

The Extra Virgin Kitchen - Susan Jane White

(published by Gill & Macmillan)

The Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner will be held on Wednesday 26th November 2014 in the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel, Dublin 4. For more info see www.irishbookawards.ie

Good Luck all!

Zack

Opportunity to Purchase the last batch of Ireland's Glebe Brethan Artisan Cheese

If you’re looking for something special for your cheeseboard this Christmas, this is the year to give pride of place to one very special Irish cheese: the Comte-style Glebe Brethan Irish Artisan Cheese, made from the unpasteurised milk of a herd of Montbeliarde cows in Co Louth. 

The cheese was a Winner of the Irish Food Writers’ Guild Food Award in 2012 (http://www.irishfoodwritersguild.ie/2012-awards.html) and for good reason: it’s creamy yet complex, with a nutty character coming to the fore as the cheese matures.

Other Awards for Glebe Brethan Cheese include:
• 2010 Gold Medal at Irish Cheese Awards
• 2006 Gold Medal at World Cheese Awards
• 2006 Gold Medal and Award for Best New Cheese at British Cheese Awards
• 2006 Euto-Toques Cavan Crystal Food Award
• 2006 Bridgestone Guides Megabytes Award
• 2005 Double Gold medal winner at International Food and Wine Exhibition

Sadly, its maker David Tiernan passed away in February 2013 and the cheese is no longer being produced. However the last of this precious cheese is still being sold in the lead up to Christmas, through Sheridans Cheesemongers, from La Rousse Foods (trade only) and directly from the Tiernan family farm.

The late David Tiernan, creator of Glebe Brethan Cheese

Glebe Brethan is a versatile cheese that is as happy on a mixed cheeseboard as it is in a sourdough sandwich (perhaps with some slices of smoked venison from Coopershill House, another IFWG Food Award winner), grated into a potato rosti or cubed onto salads. 

At the 2012 IFWG awards ceremony, Derry Clarke of l’Ecrivain choose to press it into a potato terrine and serve it with a cream of onion soup (see www.irishfoodwritersguild.ie/2012.html for menu). A nice idea for a Christmas starter perhaps? 

Irish farmhouse cheese is a sector that simply did not exist 40 years ago, and yet – thanks to the pioneering spirit of many single-minded cheese-makers – it has grown to become one of the leading lights of today’s Irish food story. David Tiernan will be remembered as having played a significant role in recent chapters of that story. And in a country that now boasts more types of farmhouse cheese per capita than our French neighbours, there is no other Irish cheese quite like Glebe Brethan. Savour some of this great cheese, while you still can!

More information on David Tiernan’s contribution to Irish food can be found at www.irishfoodwritersguild.ie/april-2013.html, and on Glebe Brethan cheese at www.glebebrethan.com.

To order Glebe Brethan directly, contact Mairead Tiernan at tiernans (at) glebebrethan (dot) com on www.glebebrethan.com/contact.htm or Telephone on 087 693 6107. 

Zack