Viewmount House - February's "Just Ask" Restaurant of the Month

“Just Ask! is a public awareness campaign run by Bordbia, The Irish Food Board, that aims to encourage consumers, when eating out, to look for information on where the food on their plate comes from and to encourage chefs to provide this information on their menus.”

In recent years, here in Ireland, the publicity generated by chefs in kitchens demanding better produce to work with in the first place have heightened the standards expected by customers in restaurants. Although often more expensive to buy because of the scale of operation, locally sourced produce, especially meats, are finally becoming the norm and the expected on Irish menus.

Restaurants are encouraged to provide transparency to customers by crediting the local suppliers for their product and providing supplier (particularly meat) details and country of origin information on their menus.

Each Month Bordbia pick one Just Ask Restaurant of the Month based on these criteria

and this month’s recommendation is: VM Restaurant, Viewmount House, Co. Longford.

Viewmount House Head Chef Gary O'Hanlon

Head Chef, Gary O’Hanlon, spoke here to Bordbia:

"Our menus show "VM’s" dedication to sourcing locally produced foods and we use them to name-check all of our suppliers.  Meat suppliers include Thornhill duck from Cavan, Wild Irish Game from Longford and Co. Wicklow, dry aged beef from Donald Russell, Co. Longford and rare breed pork from Jana Reinhaart. 

Traditional Irish Food with a modern Twist

 Kettyle Meats, Fermanagh supply us with their ‘free to roam’ chickens.  Seafood suppliers include Albatross of Killybegs, Co. Donegal and John Rogan of Rathowen, Co. Westmeath who supplies us with organic smoked fish.  Free range eggs are supplied by O'Halleran's of Kenagh, Co. Longford and fruit and vegetables are supplied by Shanley's of Longford Town and by Viewmount's own gardens."

The VM Restaurant at Viewmount House, Co Longford

Click Here for more details and the  Viewmount House website.

See here for previous JUST ASK winners http://www.bordbia.ie/aboutfood/eatout/pages/previouswinners.aspx

If you are own an Irish Restaurant you can check to see if you fit the criteria to be considered for a JUST ASK recommendation Click HERE

Thanks to Bordbia for Just Ask info & details 

Don't forget to feed the fish at the bottom of this post!

zack

Bord Bia Amenity Horticulture Quality Awards 2012

Something for the calendar for this Friday, 17th February:

The Amenity Horticulture Spring Seminar 

& the Bord Bia Amenity Horticulture Quality Awards

The National Amenity Horticulture awards recognise and promote excellence across the industry of Garden Centres. Research carried out on behalf of Bord Bia has found that 43% of people are willing to spend money on their garden and that gardening, plants and flowers are seen as a credible and acceptable treat in recessionary Ireland.  35% of respondents claimed that the economic downturn has not had any effect on their buying habits.

The National Botanic Gardens, Dublin

The College of Amenity Horticulture is located at the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin in Dublin. Having the college located in The Botanic Gardens provides students with a unique training opportunity. There is a strong tradition of training at the National Botanic Gardens dating back to 1812. 

John Mulhern, College Principal, says "Our aim is to train students for employment in the amenity horticulture industry. We provide our training in association with OPW, Dublin Municipal Parks departments and the Golfing Union of Ireland. Currently we are providing training for 380 students between all our courses. There is a balance of both school leavers and mature participants among the students."

The College of Amenity Horticulture is non-residential with students finding accommodation in the locality. While on courses students are trained in the theory and practice of horticulture and get an opportunity to work in a practical way alongside skilled horticulturalists as part of their training. Graduates of our courses contribute in many sectors of the horticulture industry, such as, landscape design and construction, garden centres, parks, estate gardens, grounds maintenance and greenkeeping.

Aidan Cotter, Chief Executive, Bord Bia said “Quality Award recipients pride themselves on delivering above and beyond consumer expectation. They have to make significant investments in training, infrastructure and procedures to attain a Quality Award and consumers can benefit greatly from identifying them before they plan a trip to the local garden centre or engage a landscape contractor.”

Carol Marks,  Bord Bia said “The research has shown that the garden is viewed as an extension to the home with people seeing it predominantly as a place to relax but also a place for entertaining, eating and for children to play. As a result of the economic downturn people are spending more time at home and many are now engaging more with the Horticultural Industry.”

Last year at the 2011 ceremony, Bord Bia presented Quality Awards to 86 horticultural businesses, which have successfully achieved the standards as set out by its Quality Assurance Programmes. This included fifty garden centres who achieved star ratings from 2 to 5 star gold, 12 Quality Approved Landscape Contractors, and twenty four Quality Approved Nurseries.

Ticket prices are:

• Seminar only - €50
• Gala Awards Presentation Dinner only - €75
• Seminar & Awards Dinner - €120

For Full Details visit the Bord Bia Events section here

Don't Forget to feed the Fish at the bottom of this Post!

Zack

Happy Heart Garlic Rapeseed Oil - Winner of Best Organic Product 2011

"There was a 100% increase in number of companies entering National Organic Awards 2011" says Bord Bia. And that's in a recession!

 This is the fifth year for the National Organic Awards, organised by Bord Bia. A total of 169 individual products were judged with awards given in eight different categories.

Overall Winner, Kitty Colchester from Second Nature Oils said “I am really honored to have Happy Heart recognised as a superior organic rapeseed oil product in Ireland. We take great pride in the manufacturing of our fully organic rapeseed oil and the development of the flavoured range was a new departure for us – I’m delighted to see that it has paid off!”

"Rapeseed oil contains 59% monounsaturated fat and 30% polyunsaturated fats (omega 3 &6). It also contains vitamin E,which is a powerful antioxidant" said Kitty. "It helps the body to fight against the negative effects of free radicals,heart disease,cancer and aging as well as being beneficial in nourishing the skin. And the fresher the oil,the higher the vitamin E content. We cold press our oil weekly,offering you the freshest organic oil available in Ireland!"

Kitty Colechester of Second Nature Oils , Kilkenny 

Minister of State Shane McEntee, who presented the awards, took the opportunity to congratulate Bord Bia on the work that they are currently doing within the organic sector, and have now been doing for several years, to help develop it into the future stating,  “These awards have now become recognised as being an important and permanent feature of the organic food and drink industry in this country.  It is events like this that continue to raise awareness among consumers about what organic food and farming is all about and where they can source organic produce”.


The overall category winners were as follows: • Best Overall Organic Product: Happy Heart Organic Garlic Flavour Irish Rapeseed Oil - From Second Nature Oils , Kilkenny
http://www.secondnatureoils.com/

• Best Organic Confectionery & Baked Goods:
Organic Gluten Free Brownie Mix from Sowan’s Organic Bread Mix Ltd, County Laois
http://www.sowansorganic.ie/

• Best Organic Fruit & Vegetable: Irish Organic Apples from Clashganny Organic Farm, Waterford

• Best Organic Grocery: Joint Winners:  Happy Heart Organic Garlic Flavour Irish Rapeseed Oil - From Second Nature Oils, Drumeen Farm, Kilkenny Highbank Orchard Syrup from Highbank Orchard, Kilkenny
http://www.highbankorchards.com/

• Best Organic Dairy: Glenisk Greek Style Low-Fat Rhubarb Yogurt  from Glenisk, Offaly
http://www.glenisk.com/

• Best Organic Prepared Food Product: Smoked Irish Organic Salmon from Burren Smokehouse, Clare
www.burrensmokehouse.ie/

• Best Organic Fresh Seafood Product: The Organic Salmon Company Retail Pack from The Organic Salmon Company, Donegal
http://www.theorganicsalmoncompany.com/

• Best Organic Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Beverage: Bloom Mountain Organic Irish Cream Liqueur from First Ireland Spirits Co Ltd, Laois
http://www.firstirelandspirits.com/

• Best Organic Fresh Meat Product: Organic Back Rashers from Crowe’s Farm, Tipperary
www.crowefarm.ie/

Eight companies were also Highly Commended:

• Organic Fruit & Vegetable
1. Curly Kale from  Beechlawn Organic Farm, Galway 
2. Rocket from Beechlawn Organic Farm, Galway 
3. Tesco Organic Carrots From Leo Dunne Ltd/ Tesco Ireland, Laois 
4. Tomatoes from The Organic Centre, Leitrim

• Organic Grocery:
Kilbeggan Organic  Jumbo Porridge Oats from Kilbeggan Organic Foods, Westmeath

• Organic Prepared Food:
1. Organic Omega Burger  from Dee’s Wholefoods Ltd, Cork 
2. Smoked Organic Salmon from Ummera Smoked Products Ltd, Cork

• Organic Seafood Product:
Carrefour Frozen Organic Salmon from The Organic Salmon Company , Donegal 

The independent judging panel for the 2011 National Organic Awards was chaired by Hugo Arnold, journalist and Food Consultant and included Miah Buckley, Trading Manager Dairy, Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland; Evan Doyle, Proprietor Brooklodge Wells and Spa; Darren Grant, Proprietor, The Organic Supermarket, Blackrock, Co Dublin; Oliver Moore, Journalist, Researcher and Organic Blogger and Noel Groome, Chair Foras Organac.

Eileen Bentley from Bord Bia

Speaking about the 2011 award entries Eileen Bentley, Manager, Small Business Department, Bord Bia said "It was really encouraging to see so many new award entrants which shows the range of organic production in Ireland and the greater availability of organic produce to Irish consumers.  We had a 100% increase in the number of companies entering products this year and we were delighted to present awards in eight different categories.”

Don't forget to Feed the Fish at the bottom of this Post!
zack

Richys Restaurant Cork is Bord Bia’s Just Ask! Restaurant of the Month, July 2011

Richys Restaurant, Clonakilty, Cork has been awarded Bord Bia’s Just Ask! Restaurant of the Month for July 2011.

The award, which recognises restaurants that provide information to their customers about where their food comes from, coincides with the launch of a new venture by Richys Restaurant called R café.  R Café, which will exist alongside the restaurant will serve breakfast/brunch, lunch, afternoon tea and delicious cakes all day with great coffee whilst continuing to serve the best local, in-season food the region has to offer. 

Richys Restaurant and R Café prides itself on serving the best seasonal produce sourced locally in West Cork. Its wide-ranging menu contains information outlining the origin of the key ingredients in each dish, the names of all their local suppliers and a list of foods that are in season at the time. Their website, richysbarandbistro.com, also provides a listing of local suppliers (including a supplier of the month).
 

Richie Virahsawmy, Head Chef at Richys

‘Our menus change seasonally’, said Head Chef, Richie Virahsawmy ‘Being in West Cork we are spoiled with wonderful artisan producers such as Ummera Smoked Products where we source our smoked duck breast from; Edward Twomey’s famous Clonakilty black pudding; Devoy’s Organic Farm fruit & vegetables and Dave Bushby’s wonderful Rosscarbey strawberries. Our fresh meat is supplied by Ballyburden Meats in Ballincollig and Shannonvale Poultry in Clonakilty supply our chicken. Shellfish de la Mer in Castletownbere and Bantry Bay Seafood provide us with seafood’’ .

Richys new Cook Book

As a member of both Euro-toque Ireland and Good Food Ireland, Richie is proud to highlight his commitment to sourcing local and promoting small food producers wherever possible.

Just Ask! is a Bord Bia campaign which aims to encourage consumers to look for information on where their food comes from when eating out and encourages chef’s to provide the information on their menus. According to recent research from Bord Bia, 81% of Irish diners believe it’s important that restaurants use local produce with 72% deeming it important that the origin of meat is listed on the menu.

Speaking about Richy’s Georgina Campbell said, ‘It’s not often that you come across a menu like this, it not only names the origins of key ingredients in each dish and credits their valued local suppliers at the end, but also lists some of the foods that are in season at the time – and even gives a glossary to explain some of the less usual ingredients and cooking terms!’

As part of Bord Bia’s Just Ask! programme, restaurants listed on Georgina Campbell’s ireland-guide.com website are invited to submit copies of their menus and sourcing statements.  On a monthly basis, a Just Ask! winner is chosen by Georgina Campbell in agreement with Bord Bia. In addition, an overall Just Ask! annual award winner is selected as part of the Georgina Campbell Awards which take place during October.

To get involved in Just Ask! or to find out more, see www.bordbia.ie. With so many great value restaurants right on your doorstep, eating out is still on the menu!

For more information on Richys Bar & Bistro see www.richysbarandbistro.com

Don't forget to Feed the Fish at the bottom of this post!
zack

Avoca Garden Cafe is Bord Bia’s Just Ask! Restaurant of the Month of June

The Avoca Garden Café at Mount Usher Gardens, Wicklow

has been awarded Bord Bia’s Just Ask! Restaurant of the Month for June. Located in the picturesque gardens of Mount Usher Co. Wicklow, the Avoca Garden Café prides itself on seasonality using the best of local produce and regional artisan food suppliers. This is quite evident in their menus.

This award comes at a busy time for the Avoca Garden Café as the Mount Usher Gardens will be busy as part of the Wicklow Garden Festival from 11^th- 20^th June.

Andrew Holmes, Head Chef at the restaurant, insists on using as much local produce as possible. "I'm delighted for all involved!" he said when he was told of the award. "It's a pleasure to get the opportunity to work with the best local produce here at Avoca and to continue to build a close relationship with our artisan suppliers".  

Andrew is keen to acknowledge his food suppliers. They are, after all, "the people who provide the basic ingredients and help to make the The Avoca Garden Café one of the favourite eating establishments in the region". He sources their beef, lamb, sausages and bacon from local butcher, Niall Dowling in Ashford and organic pork from Gold River Farm.  Their fresh fish is supplied daily and direct from Atlantis Seafood, Kilmore Quay. Free range chicken is supplied by Bertram Salter of Carlow Foods and their eggs come from Martha and Gary Crocker’s organic farm in Wicklow!

 All fruit and vegetables used in the café are sourced locally from Ann Kuntz of Kilcoole, Gold River Farm in Aughrim, Keoghs fruit farm in Enniskerry and Kearns Farm at Newcastle. All the breads and pastries are homemade, on the premises, by Andrew and his team.

John & Bernie Hempenstall’s Wicklow Blue Brie will always be among the range of Irish farmhouse cheeses offered!

Bernie Burke of Tara Co. Meath supplies the ice cream from her families’ Jersey cows which complement Avoca Garden Cafe's homemade apple crumble. Other suppliers from around Ireland include Living Foods Company, Wicklow - Ian McIntosh from Tyrone's Organic Five-Mile-Town goat’s cheese and Smoked Duck and Smoked Salmon from Anthony Creswell's Ummera Smokehouse based in Co.Cork. 

Just Ask! is a Bord Bia campaign which aims to encourage consumers to look for information on where their food comes from when eating out and encourages chef’s to provide the information on their menus. According to recent research from Bord Bia, 81% of Irish diners believe it’s important that restaurants use local produce with 72% deeming it important that the origin of meat is listed on the menu.

Georgina Campbell's Ireland Guide said, "The great thing about the menus at Avoca is that they change with the seasons and showcase a wide range of local producers, as well as observing the fundamental principle of traceability. The Mount Usher Gardens provide a magical setting for the café which I’m sure will be incredibly busy during the upcoming Wicklow Garden Festival".

Wicklow County Tourism celebrates the 22nd Wicklow Gardens Festival in 2011. Running from Saturday 11th - Sunday 19th June, it features a variety of private and public gardens each with their own unique theme and design- from Robinsonian and Formal to Victorian and Modern.

Each garden will be open to the public during the festival (for the hours stated on their individual pages) and will host various organised events such as talks, exhibitions, live music, picnics, workshops and more. www.visitwicklow.ie/gardens

As part of Bord Bia’s Just Ask! programme, restaurants listed on Georgina Campbell’s ireland-guide.com website are invited to submit copies of their menus and sourcing statements.  On a monthly basis, a Just Ask! winner is chosen by Georgina Campbell in agreement with Bord Bia. In addition, an overall Just Ask! annual award winner is selected as part of the Georgina Campbell Awards which will take place during October.

To get involved in Just Ask! or to find out more, see www.bordbia.ie. With so many great value restaurants right on your doorstep, eating out is still on the menu!

Visit Avoca Garden Café this month during Wicklow’s Garden Festival 11^th to 20th June

Don't forget to Feed the Fish at the bottom of this post!

zack

@irishfoodguide on Twitter

Bloom 2011 - Bord Bia’s Gardening, Food & Family Festival announced!

BLOOM 2011, Bord Bia’s gardening, food & family festival returns to the Phoenix Park

Bord Bia today announced the details for Bloom 2011, Ireland’s largest gardening, food and family festival which is celebrating its fifth year. Bloom will take place once again in the Phoenix Park, Dublin from Thursday June 2^nd to Monday June 6^th. 

 

The event will showcase the best of Ireland’s horticulture and food industry and key attractions this year include a record 27 spectacular show-gardens; an Irish Craft Garden in association with the Crafts Council of Ireland to celebrate the Year of Craft; Bloom’s first international garden from China and the new Bord Bia Food Village.

Aidan Cotter, Chief Executive, Bord Bia said “Bloom 2011 will celebrate the best of Ireland’s creative flair and passion while showcasing our skills and success in food, horticulture and design. This year’s show will offer a vibrant, engaging and creative experience to share with both family and friends with a broad range of features offering something for everyone.”

The Gardens

At the heart of Bloom are 27 stunning large, medium and small show-gardens which will be judged by International independent judging panels and Gold, Silver Gilt, Silver and Bronze medals will be awarded.  In addition, RTE’s Super Garden winning garden will be featured at the show.

Gary Graham Bloom Show Manager said “Our show-gardens have been designed by a mixture of new talent and Bloom veterans and the quality and detail contained in all of the designs is just superb. This year’s offering sees the use of a broad range of materials and inspiring features that we are sure will excite and engage visitors”.  

A Chinese Garden entitled “Ire-Su”, built by the Suzhou Garden Bureau and presented as a gift from the Chinese people to the people of Ireland will be a key feature at Bloom. The authentic Chinese Garden is Bloom’s first international show-garden and will provide the perfect platform for a dazzling display of Chinese cultural activities and entertainment.

A number of broad themes will be explored in the Engaging Space gardens which include a garden which will evolve and develop over the course of the show for the Crafts Council of Ireland; an Allergy Free Garden in association with the Asthma Society of Ireland; a garden created by people who are homeless for Focus Ireland; a garden design focussing on Mental Health Recovery in association with the HSE’s EVE Plantmarket Training Centre and a garden designed by Dublin City Council to celebrate the designation by UNESCO of Dublin as a City of Literature.

The show-garden area will be complemented with features covering all aspects of the broad floral and horticultural spectrum including the Nursery and Floral Marquee; the new AOIFA Floral Art Stage; the Garden Expert Stage with speakers including Gerry Daly and Dermot O’Neill; GIY Ireland’s grow it yourself feature; the OPW’s Kitchen Walled Garden; a wide range of DIY Gardens and a complimentary Plant Creche to store visitors plants while they are exploring everything Bloom has on offer.

The Food

New to Bloom for 2011 is the Bord Bia Food Village which will feature many of the elements of Ireland’s thriving food and drink industry in one central area. Ireland is recognised for producing some of the best food and beverages in the world. The Farming For Life; Best in Season and Field to Fork features will demonstrate to visitors the origins of our food and how the raw materials are used to produce world-class ingredients.

Visitors to the Bord Bia Food Village at Bloom can consume and purchase the best of Irish food and a wide range of delicious wholesale local produce in the Food Market from almost 50 Irish Artisan Producers and a selection of Artisan Caterers. The food offering will be complemented by a range of local artisan beers, whiskeys and spirits available at the Bloom Inn. Love Irish Food returns to Bloom as an event partner and will host a large number of its member brands in the Love Irish Food pavilion.

At the centre of the new Food Village is the Chef’s Summer Kitchen which will present a daily programme of cookery demonstrations by a number of Ireland’s well known Celebrity Chefs including Catherine Fulvio, Neven Maguire, Donal Skehan and Jenny Bristow. RTE Presenter and Foodie, Ella McSweeney will host the Chef’s Summer Kitchen and will interview Chefs and food producers throughout the event.

A Family Day Out

Bloom is a wonderful family day out and best of all children under 16 go free! There are a range of family activities including entertainment on the Outdoor Stage which will feature the Café Orchestra, Nigel Mooney Quartet, Mooge 69 and the Mellochords; Craft Demonstrations and Workshops from the Crafts Council of Ireland; Outdoor Catering and Bistro Bloom featuring a Café, Restaurant and Seafood Bar.

In the Children’s Zone, Dale Treadwell will host Gondwanaland – a haven for Dinosaur enthusiasts and an Australian Bush feature. The Children’s Stage will feature a host of activities including storytelling from Dublin City of Literature Readers and a Creative Kids Café will also run throughout the event encouraging children to use their imaginations, discover and investigate.

A host of wildlife features will include demonstrations and activities from Birdwatch Ireland, the Irish Wildlife Trust and the Beekeepers Association who are Celebrating the Year of the Honeybee.

"Bloom" at the Phoenix Park, Dublin from Thursday June 2^nd to Monday June 6^th will be open daily from 10am-6pm.

Advance tickets are on sale now from €15 – kids go free!

For More Details see www.bloominthepark.com

 Also see their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BloomInthePark

Ashford Castle is Bord Bia’s Just Ask! Restaurant of the Month, May 2011

Ashford Castle, Mayo, has been awarded Bord Bia’s Just Ask! Restaurant of the Month for May. The award recognises Ashford Castle’s use of local produce and inclusion of this detail on the menus at the castles four restaurants – The Drawing Room, Cullen’s at the Dungeon, Cullen’s at the Cottage and the George V Dining Room. The menus of executive Head Chef Stefan Matz are a tribute to the wonderful produce available in the West of Ireland, notably its wonderful fresh Seafood and Connemara lamb.

The George V Dining Room dedicates a full page at the front of its menu to introducing all the food suppliers to Ashford Castle. The more contemporary informal Cullen’s menus provide diners with a more intimate descriptive style, inviting visitors to ask questions about the producers who are named on every dish.

Just Ask! is a Bord Bia campaign which aims to encourage consumers to look for information on where their food comes from when eating out and encourages chef’s to provide the information on their menus. According to recent research from Bord Bia, 81% of Irish diners believe it’s important that restaurants use local produce with 72% deeming it important that the origin of meat is listed on the menu.

Commenting on his win Stefan Matz said, “I have a passion for the wild and artisan food of the West. My well trained staff like nothing better than to chat to guests about each and every ingredient named, which sets the food in context and makes a wonderfully evocative culinary introduction to the region for visitors”.

Georgina Campbell congratulated Ashford Castle on becoming the Just Ask! Restaurant of the Month for May adding, “While there may be a hint of artistic license to the Ashford Castle motto ‘Excellence since 1228’, there is no questioning the excellence offered today, and every time food is served in this magnificent place it showcases the produce with the area with pride”.

As part of Bord Bia’s Just Ask! programme, restaurants listed on Georgina Campbell’s independently assessed ireland-guide.com website are invited to submit copies of their menus and sourcing statements. 

On a monthly basis, a Just Ask! winner is chosen by Georgina Campbell in agreement with Bord Bia. In addition, an overall Just Ask! annual award winner is selected as part of the Georgina Campbell Awards which take place during October.

To get involved in Just Ask! or to find out more, see www.bordbia.ie. With so many great value restaurants right on your doorstep, eating out is still on the menu!

For more information on Ashford Castle visit http://www.ashfordcastle.ie.

Farmgate Café, Cork awarded Bord Bia’s Just Ask! Restaurant of the Month for April 2011

1^st April, 2011 and Farmgate Café, Cork has been awarded Bord Bia’s Just Ask! Restaurant of the Month for April 2011.  Situated overlooking Cork’s famed English Market; Farmgate Café is an example of what is best about sourcing ingredients locally. Farmgate Café prides itself on using fresh Irish food that has travelled as short a distance as possible to reach customers’ plates, with almost all of the produce coming straight from the market counters downstairs.

Farmgate Café only uses beef, lamb, chicken, eggs and vegetables produced in Ireland. Against the backdrop of a bustling market, freshly shucked oysters are brought straight to the table from O’Connell’s fish stall downstairs. Meat, locally reared, comes from trusted Market craft butchers, and the finest of fresh fish is chosen every morning from O’Connell’s and Ballycotton Seafood – the Market is the café’s larder. Cork cheese makers, Molaga Honey and Thornhill Organic salad leaves from West Cork are delivered directly to the Café.

Just Ask! is a Bord Bia campaign which aims to encourage consumers to look for information on where their food comes from when eating out and encourages chef’s to provide the information on their menus. According to recent research from Bord Bia, 81% of Irish diners believe it’s important that restaurants use local produce with 72% deeming it important that the origin of meat is listed on the menu.

Farmgate Café owner, Kay Harte said, “Situated in the oldest Market in Ireland, centuries old traditional, seasonal, regional, even ‘forgotten’ foods are at the core of Farmgate ethos, and a visible link between the menu and the wonderful array of produce downstairs in the Market plays a key role in how our menu is written each day. We work closely with Market traders, as well as an array of local and regional producers to bring simple but wonderful Irish food to the table.”

Georgina Campbell said, “Farmgate provides a uniquely Irish eating experience and plays a role in supporting a vibrant Irish food culture while truly embracing how good indigenous ingredient and food products are and as virtually all ingredients are purchased from the market downstairs daily, or from other trusted suppliers nearby, it doesn’t come much fresher or more local than this.”

As part of Bord Bia’s Just Ask! programme, restaurants listed on Georgina Campbell’s ireland-guide.com website are invited to submit copies of their menus and sourcing statements.  On a monthly basis, a Just Ask! winner is chosen by Georgina Campbell in agreement with Bord Bia. In addition, an overall Just Ask! annual award winner is selected as part of the Georgina Campbell Awards which take place during October.

To get involved in Just Ask! or to find out more, see www.bordbia.ie. With so many great value restaurants right on your doorstep, eating out is still on the menu!

For more information on Farmgate Café visit www.farmgate.ie/corkhome.htm