Good News Story – Largest food showcase in Ireland

Largest food showcase in Ireland

The Food Summit, the largest food showcase in Ireland was  launched by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton in top Dublin restaurant O’Connell’s of Donnybrook.

The inaugural Food Summit is a partnership between the Web Summit and Good Food Ireland who teamed up to treat over 10,000 guests to the best of Irish food at the Web Summit (October 30th – 31st) and features chefs from Ireland’s top restaurants and hotels as well as artisan food producers from across the country.

The Food Summit in association with Good Food Ireland coincided with the Web Summit, Europe’s largest technology event and festival of ideas. The event sold out last week and had guests which included CEOs from multinational companies, technology start-ups, international media and investors attended from over 90 countries in Dublin. Over the two days guests were treated to 400,000 tastings of food and drink.

Last year the Web Summit was calculated to be worth €24million to the local economy, while all Good Food Ireland-approved businesses were worth €50million to the local economy according to a Grant Thornton Business Insights Survey.

Speaking at the launch Minister Bruton said: ““The Web Summit is a hugely positive event for Ireland, with thousands of entrepreneurs including some of the most powerful people in the international tech industry getting firsthand experience of all Ireland has to offer. My Department along with its agencies are determined to take full advantage of all the opportunities this offers Ireland in terms of investment and jobs. Today I am delighted that the Irish food industry is also taking full advantage of this opportunity, to showcase all we have to offer to this international audience.”

Meanwhile Paddy Cosgrave, CEO of Web Summit, said: “Ireland should be the world’s food capital. No other nation produces more food per capita than Ireland, and the food we produce is of an exceptional quality. Yet, very few of our more than 400 international journalists would ever associate incredible food with Ireland. We are going to change that.”

Speaking at the launch of what will be their biggest ever event, Good Food Ireland founder Margaret Jeffares said: “Good Food Ireland has become the icon for authentic food experience in Ireland, through its 600 plus businesses’ shared philosophy and commitment to using local food. If anyone can change the international attitude to the food experience in this country we can.”

Over 60 Good Food Ireland-approved businesses from the four corners of Ireland provided guests with tastings of Irish food from some of Ireland’s top chefs, bakers, farmers, cheese-makers and fishermen, as well as beverages from top artisan craft brewers and juice-makers. Over the two days guests were treated to 400,000 tastings of food and drink.

Renowned chefs from some of Ireland’s top hotels, restaurants and food stores including The Merrion Hotel, Rathmullan House, The Shelbourne Hotel, Butler’s Pantry, Mount Falcon Estate, Ely, as well as cooking legend Darina Allen from the Ballymaloe Cookery School will also be on hand to provide international guests a taste of Ireland’s rich culinary culture.

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