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

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

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