Donegal TDs in Food Coast Cook-Off Together!

Donegal Food Coast 'Cook Off' pitches two opposition TDs against each other!


Two local Donegal TDs are lined up for a face-to-face "Cook Off" on Friday 9th March, in Redcastle, Co Donegal, to help promote "The Food Coast - Donegal's Good Food Initiative".


The evening will begin with Community Chef Brian McDermott demonstrating a classic fish dish using Greencastle fish and other Donegal produce.  Next up will be TDs Pádraig MacLochlainn and Charlie McConalogue going head-to-head to cook a main course using local ingredients from a mystery basket of produce.  The Dáil deputies will be assisted by two students from the Letterkenny Institute of Technology's Tourism School.

Michael Tunney, CEO Donegal County Enterprise Board & Community Chef Brain McDermott
with TDs Pádraig MacLochlainn and Charlie McConalogue 

It isn't the first time the TDs have met in a competitive cooking event, with Charlie McConologue coming out on top on the previous occasion when he cooked an omelette in under 42 seconds.

The event is being organized by the Donegal County Enterprise Board food initiative "The Food Coast"  and will take place in Redcastle Hotel at 7pm as part of Enterprising Donegal Business Week 2012. The evening will finish with a tasting of local produce.

"It should be great fun" says Michael Tunney, Chief Executive of Donegal County Enterprise Board.  "Chef Brian McDermott always provides superb demonstrations that showcase local produce and we're expecting great things from Charlie and Pádraig".


Brian McDermott has achieved national recognition as The Community Chef where he works with community and sports groups to raise awareness of healthy food made from fresh local ingredients.  Cooking professionally for 20 years, Brian has worked in product development with Kerry Group before setting up his own award-winning restaurant "Finnegan's".

The Community Chef Brian McDermott  

He launched his first book, "Reunite with Food", in October 2011 and he has a weekly radio slot with BBC Radio.  The common theme of his work is using fresh local ingredients that help keep us all healthy and that support the local economy at the same time.


'The Food Coast - Donegal's Good Food Initiative' is a campaign to help establish Donegal as a county with a vibrant food culture and food economy.  The initiative has four main goals - to  encourage new food businesses, support existing food businesses, promote the sourcing of local produce and drive awareness locally and nationally of the fantastic food we have on our doorstep in Donegal.  The initiative is open to anyone with an interest in the County's food sector, from start-up businesses to part-time food producers, from on-farm artisan food producers to manufacturers, distributors, retailers and restaurateurs.

Organised by the Donegal County Enterprise Board

To attend the Free Cook-Off & Demonstration or for further information about Enterprising Donegal Business Week 2012, contact Celine Carroll, Donegal County Enterprise Board on 074 9160735 or email ccarroll@donegalenterprise.ie  Alternatively, you can visit the Donegal County Enterprise Board's website at www.donegalenterprise.ie and register online.


Don't forget to feed the fish at the bottom of this Post!
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Donegal County Enterprise Board’s food initiative -March 9th at 6pm in the Silver Tassie hotel, Letterkenny

More of Ireland’s leading food experts on way to Donegal!


Donegal's food businesses are invited to meet and learn from some of the country’s leading food experts who are coming to Letterkenny to explain how local producers, retailers, hotels and restaurants can give their businesses a shot in the arm. The special event, called “Food ... finding your way to the customer”, is being organised by The Food Coast, Donegal County Enterprise Board’s food initiative and takes place on Wednesday March 9th at 6pm in the Silver Tassie hotel. The keynote speaker is James Burke, the former Group Purchasing Manager and board member at Superquinn, who is widely recognised as one of the country’s top advisors on marketing for the food sector. Other speakers will include Mary Ann O’Brien of Lily O’Brien’s chocolates and Alan and Valerie Kingston of speciality food producers Glenilen Farm. The evening will include a free food tasting of the finest Inishowen and Donegal produce and a networking session open to members of the public.


“This is a great opportunity for anyone involved in food production or retailing in Donegal to learn how to boost their business this year” said Danny McEleney, Business Advisor at Donegal County Enterprise Board. “We have secured some of the top names in the Irish food industry to share their insights into growing a successful food business”. Donegal County Enterprise Board is co-funded by the Irish Government and the European Union.


James Burke is Ireland’s leading consultant within the food manufacturing and retailing sectors. He has worked in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) area for over 23 years, with much of that time spent at Superquinn. He began in the operations side of the business, before being promoted to head office where he eventually became Group Purchasing Manager and Trading Manager, responsible for a €250 million budget. He was subsequently invited to join Superquinn’s Board of Directors. Since leaving the supermarket chain he has provided strategic and business advice to some of the best known companies in Irish retailing including Aer Rianta International, The Kilkenny Group, the Dublin Airport Authority and Avoca. James will be hosting the special event and will also provide keynote speeches on product innovation and on bringing new products to market.


Mary Ann O’Brien is one of the most successful female entrepreneurs to emerge in Ireland in the past twenty years. Having started Lily O’Brien’s chocolates in her small Kildare kitchen in 1992, she has grown the business into one of the country’s most recognised global brands. The company, which employs more than 100 people, is Ireland’s premier chocolate manufacturer and a leading brand within the UK chocolate category. Lily O’Briens produces 180 varieties of chocolates at a rate of 60 tons per week and exports 80% of its produce. Mary Ann will describe how she developed her business and provide her views on how local Donegal food businesses can boost their growth and profitability.


Alan Kingston’s family had been tending the same small dairy farm for generations when his wife Valerie began making cheesecakes for the local country market in 1997. Since then they have built the Glenilen Farm brand into a thriving business, selling a growing range of products to stores across Ireland and the UK. Alan and Valerie will describe the key steps in establishing and growing their business and share some lessons they think will be useful for local farm producers.


The event, “Food ... Finding your way to the customers” is one of a series of seminars and workshops taking place to mark Enterprising Donegal Business Week 2011, which runs from Monday 7th to Friday 11th March.

For further information about attending this event or other events during Enterprising Donegal Business Week 2011 contact Celine Carroll, Donegal County Enterprise Board on 074 9160735 or email ccarroll@donegalenterprise.ie

Alternatively, you can visit the Donegal County Enterprise Board’s website at www.donegalenterprise.ie or the Facebook page www.facebook.com/donegalenterprise.

Thanks to Annmarie Doherty at http://www.dohertywhite.com for this Information