Horses: addictive, expensive... may lead to impaired mental health

This time of year I'm particularly vulnerable to damaging, self destructive behaviour as today sees the start of the Cheltenham festival, which to horse folk is sort of like Christmas.

Besides good food, horses are one of my more ridiculous, hard to kick habits. After a few years on the sidelines with small children I've jumped back in head first, and with Cheltenham starting tomorrow, it feels like party time, particularly as I'll be

flying to the Caymans with my winnings by Friday. For those of you who ask "What the what is Cheltenham?" - it's an English race meeting in Gloucester where the best of national hunt horses (horses that run over fences and hurdles) in England, Ireland and France compete for the largest and final accolades of the season.

If you've been to Cheltenham you'll know it's an insane mix of Royalty, travellers, trilbys and high emotions. In 2007 I stood in the winners enclosure beside Princess Anne in a mass of bodies and high decibel cheering as Micheal O'Leary draped a tri-colour over a sweaty and steaming War of Attrition who had just won the Gold Cup. Later that day, Kate Middleton (then the world's best known civilian) tapped my husband on the shoulder with her race card in the weigh room and asked him for tips. He took one look at her mink hat and said "I'd imagine you've

better information then me love" and walked off, not knowing who she was until she appeared on the front of The Telegraph the next day. It's that kind of place.

You laugh, you cry (seriously) you feel knackered as hell after four days there but it's a life experience everyone Irish or who loves horses needs to experience at some point.

Last Sunday night I won four tickets to Cheltenham at a pre-racing event and gave them to a friend to go as he'd never been. I think the karma is coming back in a strange way as I just found out the horse I'm riding at the moment was

3rd to Sizing Europe (pictured right) and Big Zeb who are two of the favourites at this year's festival. Let's just say after 30 odd years riding I finally know the definition of "travelling". So goodwill brings its own rewards (are you listening Paddy Power?)

I did a piece on Saturday on our Irish lady riders competing at the festival if you want to check it out below. They are all fabulous women (pictured in the group shot above) and hard as nails. Both Katie Walsh and Katie Harrington were also accomplished event riders before riding in bumpers and then over fences. Lovely to see the girls competing on an equal footing in the sport and best of luck to all the Irish runners and riders this week. If you feel like a flutter, scan the papers and put on a few quid in the local bookies. The twitter feed for the meeting with all gossip and reaction is at #cheltenham and my highs and lows (will try to control the emotions) evident @campbellsuz

The Irish Times

10th March 2012

Suzanne Campbell

Never before has there been so much competition in the weighroom, only this time it’s female. Irish lady jockeys are increasingly taking home the silverware in National Hunt Racing, with two of our best known - Nina Carberry and Katie Walsh competing for wins at the Cheltenham festival next week. These two riders have altered the perception of women in the sport from being “female riders” to simply top jockeys in their own right. Last year Nina Carberry won the Irish Grand National becoming only the second woman rider to win the race. Katie Walsh, sister of jockey Ruby Walsh and daughter of the commentator Ted has also proved a leading rider over fences. She finished the 2011 Cheltenham festival with two winners, one of them fought out against the mount of Nina Carberry who is also Katie’s sister in law. These two riders, alongside Kate Harrington, Liz Lalor and Jane Mangan have been chosen by racing journalists as the Ladbrokes Grand National “Leading Ladies of Racing”. Kate Harrington is an accomplished three day event rider, and like Liz Lalor and Jane Mangan, has also had wins on the track. Expect more top prizes going into the hands of these jockeys, and some tight Cheltenham finishes fought out by our leading lady riders.

Let them eat caviar

Yes we're in a recession, so how about some caviar? Last week Mag Kirwan from Goatsbridge farm launched her new baby on the marketplace; a trout caviar. Having had a sneak taste at her farm a few weeks ago, I have to admit it's pretty damn good. A lot of people blanche at the thought of fish eggs rolling around their mouth, but generally if you like seafood or shellfish, it's just more of the above, only better.

Mag and her husband Ger farm trout in Thomastown in County Kilkenny. After selling trout roe to Polish and Eastern European customers, they figured trout eggs were an obvious but unexploited business opportunity. So they developed a caviar, with eggs harvested from their live two-year old mature female trout. These are really lovely fish. They dive about in their freshwater ponds looking the picture of health, and more importantly, they taste fantastic.

No surprise that the caviar is also pretty good - I ate it on a water cracker with no accompaniment. It has a subtle rather than strong fishy flavour, with a light saltiness and whisper of the sea.

Regular caviar comes from the sturgeon which is a fish that lives in various parts of the world but caviar by and large is harvested from black sea sturgeon. It's so expensive because sturgeons take decades to mature and are relatively scarce. Caviar from other fish have to have the prefix "trout" etc to distinguish it from it's crazy expensive cousin (the big lad pictured below).

If you fancy tasting Mag's trout caviar you'll soon see it on high end restaurant menus across Ireland and in speciality food stores. It's a great product and judging by the early feedback it's sure to be a huge success. If you're interested in hearing more on trout, my report on Goatsbridge farm (before the trout launch) and women in rural food businesses can be heard at the link below. http://www.rte.ie/radio1/countrywide/18022012.html

GM or not to GM. That's the question, bet I know the answer

There's a rift appearing in the Irish agri-food sector which could affect what has for so long now been a good news story. Last week Teagasc announced that they've applied for a license to sow genetically modified potatoes at their research centre in Carlow.

Irish groups opposing GM claim this threatens our export food market in a climate when agriculture is one of the top performing sectors of the economy. Surveys do suggest that consumers don't want to eat GM food, and that the perception of Ireland as a "clean, green nation" is key to the success of our exports in countries like Italy and Germany.

It also comes at a time where in the US, farmers who choose not to grow GM are currently taking a class action against Monsanto - they fear that when Monsanto's GM seeds contaminate their own crops, Monsanto will claim ownership and charge them licence fees on what were originally sown as non GM foods.

But Teagasc and agri-food experts like Dr. Paddy Wall say the fear of GM is nonsense and it's the only way to tackle world hunger, and a mistake for Ireland to not embrace it. They also feel not allowing GM animal feed into Ireland has made our pig and poultry sectors completely uncompetitive. There argument is - if consumers want Irish food at a fair price, eventually we will have to accept genetically modified crops as part of that picture and that arguing against it will damage Ireland in the long term.

Let's also remember that the Teagasc research is not to look at the economic viability of blight-resistant GM potatoes here, but to look at their environmental impact in the first instance. I'm doing a radio report on this next week and encourage all who have a vested interest or from a consumer point of view, a preference to GM or non GM food, to get in touch. Let your views be known!

Calories on menus, hate it or love it, let your views be known today

This debate has pulled in lots of new voices, divergent views and strong opinion. Is putting calories on menus a health policy that will cripple an already pressurised restaurant sector? Or a badly needed intervention that has proved to have had some success reducing calorie intake, notably in the US.

Today is the final day to let your views be known on the proposed new legislation. The consultation process is being run by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and has been accepting views from the public and food businesses for a month now. Whatever your feelings, let them be known at www.FSAI.ie.

If you want to learn more about the proposals, and how they could affect you, your health or your business, check out my radio piece with Pat Kenny from last week at the following link. Scroll the player 1hr 36 mins up the timeline; I've tried to include all views and give an overview into what the proposals could mean for all of us

http://www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/rteradioweb.html#!rii=9%3A3199527%3A133%3A15%2D02%2D2012%3A

Would you eat meat that was grown in a lab? Even if it solved world hunger?

Winston Churchill - bon vivant and lover of food, drink and the odd giant cigar, once offered a view of the future where meat would be grown not on a farm, but in a lab. Churchill wrote: "We shall escape the absurdity of growing a whole chicken in order to eat the breast or wing, by growing these parts separately under a suitable medium.''

While it sounds very Orwellian and proves that Churchill wasn't just handy at moving model armies around a giant map table - now, eighty years after his pronouncement, Churchill's predictions are coming to pass. Scientists are close to producing the world's first commercial meat grown in a lab. Mark Post of Maastricht University, one of the premier scientists in this field, claims he will produce the first "cultured meat" burger by the end of the year.The question is, would you eat it?

Most initial reaction will no doubt go along the lines of "Hell No!!!"

After all, lab grown meat is grown from stem cell technology, a science that makes a lot of people squirm as in the first place, let alone, suggest they eat the results. In order to grow "cultured" meat, stem cells are taken from pig or poultry muscle and then cultured with added nutrients to form a film of animal flesh. Think - chicken fillet, only thinner.

If you're at this point pretty repulsed by the idea, think of the following reasons for why lab-grown meat could be better for animals and also, better for people.

Growing meat, whether in factory farms or out in fields, is one of the major contributors to global environmental degradation, especially de-forestation and global warming. It uses up water resources and has contributed to huge loss of biodiversity. Currently our appetite for meat has meant that almost one-third of global land use is used for growing either meat, or cereals to feed meat animals - including cattle, pigs and poultry. You could argue (and plenty do) that our lust for meat, and the growing "middle class" appetite for meat in China and India is killing the planet.

And how does the alternative stand up? - research shows that cultured meat has 80-95% lower greenhouse gas emissions, 99% lower land use and 80-90% lower water use compared to conventionally produced meat in Europe. More importantly, even if the meat produced by factory farms (which certainly in the US and in some cases Europe, have proved to have dubious records for animal welfare) was replaced with cultured meat, it would take the horrors of large scale factory farming out of the food chain. If people don't want to look at video of where their chicken is produced well then they probably would be better off served by something grown in a lab.

But the real issue comes when you look at world hunger. Cereals are grown all over the world not for people to eat, but to go into animal feed. And this is the case even in developing countries where hunger and deprivation are serious issues. Cultured meat, (given that over time it would have to be produced at huge levels) would mean that less cereals leave the food system for animal feed and instead can be given to humans, yes - us, to eat.

So what about it? Would you eat it, even if you knew it was morally and ethically more correct?

What's the most risky food you've ever eaten, go on, spill

Spaghetti with "best-before July 2009" lurking at the back of the cupboard? Cheddar you've scraped the green bit off before toasting on some 2 day old baguette?

We all eat food that is suspect at some point, wondering idly while we chomp down if we'll die in the middle of the night from our righteous attempt at thrift. A Food Safety Authority survey shows that in fact half of us eat foods past their use-by dates. This is despite the fact that use-by dates are worth paying serious attention to... as opposed to best-before dates which are just a general guide.

As the whole best-before, use-by and sell-by date area is clearly a bit of a mindfield, I wrote the following piece for the Irish Independent to give a clearer outline of foods that we can happily eat beyond their best-before dates, and those that might hit you like a punch in the gut, or worse. Have a look, tell me the most risky item you've ever put in your mouth, and let's compare. Mine wins hands down... I promise

Use By Dates: How to find the balance between being safe and wasting food

Irish Independent February 2nd 2009

Most of us have packets of food lurking at the back of the cupboard which are long past their best-before date. But as so many Irish households cut back on their grocery spend, is it a false economy to eat food that is out of date?

A survey by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) showed that nearly half of us eat foodstuffs which have passed their use-by date. The results, from a group of 1,000 questioned by the FSAI and Teagasc, show that consumers rely on their instinct, as opposed to labelling, to judge if something is safe to eat.

The 46pc of Irish consumers who disregard use-by dates said that they were happy to eat food as long as it "looked and smelled okay". The FSAI think the statistic is worrying and shows Irish consumers are still willing to put their health at risk rather than throw something out...

As the article is quite long, check out the rest of it at the following link (no paywall) and let me know your food horror stories. I won't tell a soul.... I promise

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/smart-consumer/use-by-dates-how-to-find-the-balance-between-being-safe-and-wasting-food-3007649.html

Trouble in land of the spuds

We had a lot of reaction to the discussion on RTE Countrywide Saturday on all things potato. I particularly loved the listener who texted in that Rooster potatoes were "muck" and that anyone knew anything about potatoes wouldn't touch them with a barge pole. What's interesting is that it's a topic that enlivens so many people, but the reality is that the demographic eating potatoes in Ireland is getting older, potato sales are falling, and many farmers are leaving the business. The day of the Countrywide report I heard of a farmer, his wife and three kids who were emigrating to Canada just days later having left the potato business.

We talked about several possible solutions to the problems in this sector. Later this month Bord Bia will have research on consumer attitudes to potatoes which will throw a lot of light on buying patterns and how engagement with this wonderful vegetable can be improved. If you're interested in hearing more, the link to the programme is below, with the potato item (myself and Thomas Carpenter from the IFA discussing the issue) at about half way into the programme. The post previous to this also gives an outline of the problems - yes agriculture is thriving in Ireland, but if we turn a blind eye to the the unfair amount of power supermarkets wield and fail to legislate for primary producers, it's not going to stay that way

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/countrywide/

Can we save our spuds?

The Irish spud is in a bit of a crisis. Sales are declining and Irish farmers say this season they are selling potatoes below the cost of production. Like all commodity producers, potatoes are victims of the marketplace and as Ireland had high yields this year (the crop was very good) there is over supply. Over supply leads to a depressed price, and a very unfortunate situation for farmers who are growing a vegetable that they are ultimately forced to sell at a loss.

Yet many of us still cook potatoes, just less of them. And one of the main reasons in their decline is that we have replaced our staple carbohydrate with newer, glossier contenders - rice, pasta, noodles and even bread. We also import some potatoes, and have turned away from some of the traditional Irish varieties. Tomorrow I'll be on RTE radio discussing this issue and why as consumers are leaving the potato behind.

Or are we? If you're a champion of the potato and use it in inventive and new ways drop me a comment - it's worth keeping in mind that per gram they have still less fat than pasta and rice and are a super-healthy unprocessed food. And also, in the main, Irish. Have a listen to the programme if you're up and about at 8am or catch it on a podcast afterwards from www.rte.ie/radio. And let me know your spud views!

Back to the future; our fabulous female food producers

Basketcase has been on a break the last few weeks while I tackled a large amount of pesky print deadlines. But it means I've a couple of strong (and some very entertaining) food stories coming up and an exciting few projects emerging in the next few months. Tomorrow I'm back on the road in my touring office - (otherwise known as the landrover held together with string) to interview a great rural food producer who is also a woman - Mag Kirwan - pictured left. Just in case there's any confusion, Pat Whelan is the butcher bloke and I'm the one in the middle.

As the Irish food and agriculture sector gets stronger each year and provides more of our exports and GDP, I'm noticing many more rural women involved in producing food, whether it be artisan products or in larger food manufacturing. Over the next few weeks I hope to bring some of their stories on air on RTE radio. One of the reasons I want to feature rural women is that they are huge drivers of growth, both economic and in a wider sense, in rural Ireland. Over many years I've spent reporting on farming and rural issues I found it was often women who were at the centre of rural development projects. In LEADER initiatives such as Ballyhoura in Limerick,

IRD Dullhallow in Cork and around the country, they were plugging away on the ground getting community schemes together, with many of them in the area of food.

It's not hard to see why women and food are a natural pairing in Ireland. While farming was traditionally considered "men's work", Irish women ran mini-enterprises from their kitchens. Selling poultry and eggs provided them with a household income that they could control. On mart days when the family livestock were sold, the profits could end up over the counter of the town pub and if they came home they were reinvested back into the

farm or spent on essentials such as animal fodder for winter or a pig to fatten. Poultry was a way for rural women to accrue money for children's clothes, school books or other needs often

seen as non-essential from a traditional farming point of view.

As in developing countries today, women and small businesses are drivers of upwards mobility. By selling crafts, saving money and forming co-ops they can completely change the future of their children through small measures. Rural women such as my grandmothers were enterprising and resourceful. Both managed dairy herds and a steady supply of eggs with my nana Campbell investing in goats to sell goats milk (very unusual in the 1960's) to local people.

My nana McGauran knitted aran jumpers for extra income. As I child I spent many evenings on the floor of her Fermanagh farmhouse holding yarn spread between my two small arms as she gathered the ream into a single huge ball to knit from. I remember the ticking of the loud slow clock and the open turf fire with its gigantic cast iron pots. My grandmothers also kept poultry flocks, turkeys and seasonally had food solutions to fit whatever produce was available. Always the focus was on saving, economising and getting the best out of what they could get trade, sell or grow. It's ironic in a sense, that while we're going through difficult times in Ireland, these women from our past learned that food can make you money; and it's a tradition we're still playing out today.

I was talking to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland during the week who confirmed that huge numbers of queries are still coming into the organisation from people wanting to start new food businesses. Many are from women who are skilled cooks and have a resource to sell. It never fails to amaze me the passion and will to succeed that food producers have to keep doing what they do. To start businesses in difficult times and in an environment that is heavily regulated as Ireland is no mean feat. But there's new food businesses popping up all the time, and much goodwill and positivity in the sector.

If you want to support rural businesses and small producers there's plenty of fabulous food to choose from. Typically when I visit these women and listen to their inspirational stories I am sent home with a bundle of their produce on the passenger

seat of the jeep - delicious cheese, pork, lamb, milk, chocolate... And guess what? I still buy their food, months or even years afterwards. In fact it's not a stretch to say that on any given week a large amount of what we eat at home is produced by the women below, with some of it (Ann Rudden's chocolate, Ballymaloe relish) making an appearance every single day. This isn't an exhaustive list of Ireland's female food producers, but its a picture of those that I've shared a cup of tea with, or buy from regularly as I really believe in their food. I promise to compile a more thorough version when I get a chance as its a great resource for both for Irish business women and foodies. But for the moment, check them out, buy some of their food and you may create a habit, and some friendships of a lifetime x

Birgitta Curtin from Burren Smokehouse, Bernadine Mulhall Coolanowle organic farm, Eileen Dunne Crescenzi, Ann Rudden from Aine Chocolates, Saoirse Roberts Connemara Smokehouse, Debbie Johnston at Sweetbank Farm, Mag Kirwan Goatsbridge Trout, Mary Kelly Moonshine Cheese, Giana Ferguson Gubbeen Cheese, Margaret Farrell of Oldfarm pork, Sarah Furno at Cashel Blue cheese, Avril Allshire-Howe Roscarberry Recipes, Eileen Bergin The Butlers Pantry, Maxine at Ballymaloe Relish, Emma at Glenisk (we couldn't survive without the Cleary family's milk, yoghurt and cream) Nicole Dunphy at Pandora Bell, Bernie Burke of Burke's ice cream, Kate Carmody Beal Organic cheese, Darina and Myrtle Allen, Amy Caviston of Caviston's fishmongers, Janet Drew from Janet's Country Fayre, Lorraine Fanneran restaurateur and Italian Foodie Sauces, Caroline Hennessey from 8 Degrees Brewing, Jen and Claire from the Dungarvan Brewing company, the amazing Margaret Jeffares from Good Food Ireland, Sharon Ni Chonchuir Dingle food seller, Hannah from Waterfall Farm, Santina Kennedy from Kennedy's Enniskerry, Glenillen Farm, and finally The Dominican nuns at An Tairseagh organic food market, Wicklow.

Happy Eating x

It's a new dawn, a new day, a new pie.... and I'm feeling good

I was glad to read in Psychology Today that a quarter of people fail in their new year resolutions in the first week. Phew, at least I'm not on
my own.

In fact, that's a complete lie. I didn't make any.

You could say this arises from fear of failure but it's probably more a healthy case of can't be bothered. Don't get me wrong - new year resolutions are great, and setting ludicrous goals even better, but for the day that's in it, January 1st doesn't signify anything too dramatic for me; only getting rid of the Christmas detritus, using up half a tonne of frozen turkey and baking a Galette des Rois.

I cheated at my Galette this year. Traditionally it's a cake for the feast of the Epiphany which is Friday the 6th January. But this year I made two Galettes on New Year's Eve for a house party up the valley from us. It was a wild stormy night as we drove up the winding lanes in our

battered Land Rover to the head of the valley. And just like the wise men, there were three of us, transporting gifts of Galettes, wine, Bollinger and a fellow guest with a bandaged head and a broken thumb.

It was that kind of night. Not one of the healthiest starts for the New Year but a brilliant one.

In Catholic France the Galette des Rois celebrated the arrival of the three wise men. It's also the day named "Little Christmas" or in Ireland "Nollaig na nBan" which translates as Women's Christmas. This was possibly because

under the Julian calendar, Christmas Day fell on that day whereas under the Gregorian Calendar, (the present day system) it's the 25th.

Anyway, as we're not great Christmas cake, pudding or mince-pie eaters in our house, the Galette is a Christmas staple, and devoured long before the Epiphany. It's a simple recipe, and if you are pressed for time as I usually am, you can use pre-made puff pastry and the result will still be pretty delicious. After you roll out the pastry it literally takes about five minutes to prepare. It's simple, mouthwatering and for me, the most perfect of French pastry treats.

I wish you all a happy and healthy 2012; may cooking and food provide you with respite, comfort and fun in these strange and often unsettling times that we are living in. Basketcase will still be here; keeping you company in your travails; supplying scandal, food news, the wild, obscure and occasionally profane.

But in the meantime have a slice of Galette, and let me know how you get on. Happy Eating.

Galette des Rois

100 grams ground almonds

100 grams caster sugar

100 grams butter

one egg, lightly beaten

400 grams home made or ready made puff pastry

three drops almond essence

Mix the butter and caster sugar into a paste then add the ground almonds and the almond essence. Bind together with the beaten egg.

Roll out the pastry into two 10 inch rounds. Spread the almond paste on the first round, spreading it out to within an inch of the edge. Place the second round of pastry on top of the first, press the edges together, and score the top in semi-circular lines. Brush with a beaten egg and bake at 180 for 25 minutes.

You better be hungry x

Dancing at the crossroads, for real

I thought you folks might like this clip of the Curtlestown wren boys playing at my local crossroads which is a rural Irish tradition on St. Stephen's Day. These days no wren is hunted or killed as was the pre-Christian custom but the wren boys (and girls) still wear the traditional raggy clothes, straw "mummers" hats and disguise themselves. Many years ago the wren boys hunted a wren through the hedgerows which eventually came to a sticky end, poor thing. The wren had a lot of negative beliefs associated with it but as those superstitions passed the musical tradition lived on. In many areas of rural Ireland you will see the the wren boys out on St. Stephen's Day; playing traditional Irish music and collecting for local charities once the short concert ends. This is dancing at the crossroads for real, and even in the times we live in we had couples waltzing, a slip reel danced by a very competant Irish dancer and I even did a few turns myself with my small daughter. The first clip is of my neighbours dancing a waltz and below that is the handsomely attired tiger wren doing a short number with a brush. Enjoy x

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyqFG0jUdYg&context=C37b6c9aADOEgsToPDskK9TiFjiypR4CkE_eUPEatY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWJjjTkQizI&context=C37b6c9aADOEgsToPDskK9TiFjiypR4CkE_eUPEatY

Avoca's new venture: high concept, well-executed and beautiful

In my part of the country the Avoca brand is a bit of a food institution. When news appeared that the Pratt family were opening a new branch of their food/lifestyles business in Monkstown, South Dublin it was greeted with much glee by all who enjoy decent grub. The new outlet, in an area perfectly pitched for its customers is sure to be as consistently busy (even in planet recession) as their other food shops and restaurants.

For my foreign readers here's a bit of background: Avoca Handweavers (which the chain was originally named) grew from a cafe and crafts shop at the Avoca woollen mill in the small village of the same name in rural Wicklow. The mill is still there, as is the shop and cafe, but in the last decade the Pratt family who bought the business have extended their homewares, food shops and cafes to outlets all around the country. The shops have become food and homewares meccas; a great stop for buying a quick gift, picking up a set of meringue nests for an emergency dinner or grabbing a chocolate cake to die for en route to a childrens party.

What's interesting about the new shop in Monkstown is that there is now fresh fruit, vegetables and meat on offer. As someone who lives sandwiched between the Enniskerry and Kilmacanogue outlets I often run in to grab a salami for a pasta dish, goats cheese or some lovely Aine Rudden chocolate made in Co. Cavan. But I cursed the fact that picking up veg or fresh meat at the same time wasn't an option.In the Pratt's new venture fresh vegetables are on offer, there's a beautiful cheese room, rotisserie Irish chicken and most exciting of all a new butcher shop outlet from Pat Whelan from Clonmel.

Pat is a great believer in local food, farms his own cattle and it's great to see his type of quality beef landing up in my neck of the woods. The range of veg is the Monkstown outlet is gorgeous; all kinds of exiting things but one thing I'd like to have seen more of was Irish produce. I know that if you

want courgettes in December you're not going to find them grown in Ireland but I think there is more local vegetables available then what they are stocking at present. This could be an issue of availability - sourcing Irish is often confined to particular volumes and of course price, but hopefully in the future we'll see more of our local vegetables on the shelves.

Research shows that even in the midst of recession consumers like buying Irish. I think retailers should exploit this more and remember that "Irish" and "local" conveys a halo affect onto everything around it - a fascinating dynamic often abused by the large supermarkets but used to great affect by Supervalu and smaller independent shops. What the Monkstown store has plenty of is Irish pork from small farmers and producers, Irish Chicken and of course Pat's meat.

This is premium food in a premium location. The restaurant in this outlet, named Salt is superb, and booking is recommended - as usual with any new Avoca venture it was out-the-door busy. This shop is not the sort of place many are going to do their weekly groceries. At the same time retail such as this is crucial in re-branding Irish food as contemporary, authentic and desirable.

Avoca food always delivers on taste. It's not cheap but I don't think good value is about something being cheap. Cheap food is a downwards spiral for all of us as it narrows our methods of producing food into a "lowest margin possible" morass that ultimately resembles factory farming.

It's funny for me to write about Avoca as I feel a strange vested interest towards the place. Several of my friends work in the Avoca shops and restaurants near to me. I frequently have work meetings there as it saves

people travelling up the godforsaken mountain roads to visit me and my kids are well familiar with me landing in them in the door for coffee and cake. I wish them the

best in their new shop. To a degree we all should be proud of what the Avoca brand has achieved. It's a successful re-imagining of what Irish food and Irish retail should be. It's high concept, well-executed and always a pleasure to visit. Keep up the good work x

Budget Day - and €105 taken out of Irish Agriculture, what does it mean for farmers and food producers?

Round One of Budget 2012 happened earlier today, with the axe falling on €1.4 billion of public spending by the Irish Government. The main headlines were changes to child benefit, increased registration fees for students and changes to health spending. But across the country many from the farming and food sector anxiously watched Minister Brendan Howlin's budget speech for news on what would happen to farm incomes. Then it was announced that €105 million is to be taken out of the agriculture budget, a move that will affect 50,000 full and part-time farmers. In that respect it could have been a better day. But to be honest it could also have been a hell of a lot worse.

I've outlined the main points of the cuts below. On the positive side (yes there is one), farmers countrywide are relieved to see no change in the suckler cow welfare scheme, which aids those producing beef animals. There's also beef discussion group funding and money for the BVD scheme. The main cut is to the Disadvantaged Area Scheme where €30 million is to be taken out of the system. This will really be felt by the farm families who farm in less productive parts of the country, where in short, it can be very hard to make money. Uplands, wetlands and bog is all too common in Ireland and while it might look poetic, it certainly isn't poetic trying to pull an income out of it.

Also notable is the €6 million being cut from the agri and food bodies such as Teagasc, Bord Bia and BIM which offer invaluable support to farmers, food producers and promote Irish food both here and abroad. In reality a lot of this €6 million saving will occur anyway through employees not being replaced and changes to funding models. But it may still mean a merging of some agri-food bodies which was what had been rumoured.

Summary of the cuts:

Disadvantaged Area Scheme

ƒThis will be implemented through reduction of those entering the scheme via eligibility and

qualifying criteria. The proposed amendments are subject to approval by the

European Commission. Planned saving - €30 million

ERAD, Disease eradication scheme

ƒSavings from anticipated lower disease incidence and operational changes. €10 million

REPs

ƒImplement reduction in expenditure through changes in the payment of transaction costs to scheme participants. The proposed amendments will require Commission approval.

€19 million in savings over 2012

Administrative Budget of the Department of Agriculture

"ƒD/AF&M rigorously reviews every area of expenditure and is committed to further staffing reductions and reductions in costs, including in procurement and shared services."

€12 million in savings

Non Commercial State Sponsored Bodies (NCSSBs)

Total grants-in-aid to five non-commercial State bodies (Teagasc, Bord Bia, BIM, the Marine Institute and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority) amount to some €200 million per annum. "While the emphasis in 2012 will be non-pay expenditure cuts, funding models and overall levels of funding will be examined critically, particularly in the context of the Government’s commitment to streamline the number of State bodies."

The announcement also factors in Miscellaneous Savings of €28 million to bring the total of agriculture cuts to €105 million. Tomorrow will see the announcements on VAT which will greatly affect food producers and as they predict, shrink demand for their goods. It's rumoured that the new VAT rate on bagels, garlic bread etc (the bread that's not bread story) may not go ahead which is great news for small bakers. As always, I'll keep a close watch on announcements tomorrow and keep you all posted. Keep the chins up x

If you're one of the 700,000 Irish people buying a turkey in the next few weeks you might want to read this...

Let's Talk Turkey by Suzanne Campbell

Irish Independent 1st December 2011

Many of us would like to buy an Irish turkey this Christmas and ordering one from your nearest butchers seems a great way to keep money in the local community. But a surprising quarter of the 700,000 turkeys we'll eat this Christmas are likely to be imports from Italy and France with many being sold as Irish birds by local retailers and butchers.

Under current law it's not mandatory to label imported turkey as Italian or French so we may think we're buying a locally reared turkey. Unlike most Irish-grown turkeys sold this Christmas, birds from Italy and France are farmed more cheaply but are routinely sold at around the same price as Irish turkey.

As they are shipped here they are less fresh and could be more likely to cause food-borne illness. So how can you ensure you're getting a fair deal and a Christmas turkey that's healthy, succulent and a meal to remember?

Turkeys from butchers and small retailers

Ask your butcher if the turkey is Irish. Under current labelling law, retailers are not required to show country of origin on the turkey itself but if asked they must tell you where the bird was slaughtered and indicate if it's an import.

"We encourage our members to sell as much Irish product as possible, but it's not for us to tell butchers what to do," says Dave Lang of the Association of Craft Butchers.

"There are imported Christmas turkeys for sale, but I don't think there's subterfuge going on. "Many butchers and small retailers will stock Irish birds but you should ask rather than assume. "If you see a Quality Assured mark on a turkey in an Irish retailer, you know it was grown in Ireland to high production standards," says David Owens from Bord Bia. "However, last year we saw over 160,000 imported turkeys coming into the country and consumers should be aware of that. These turkeys should be cooked immediately and not frozen."

Turkeys from supermarkets

Most Christmas turkeys sold in supermarkets are Irish birds grown by the three large turkey producers in the country. These are white turkeys which mature in about 16 weeks and are reared in large indoor housing without access to the outdoors.

Many of these supermarket turkeys will have a Bord Bia Quality Assured mark which means the farms are inspected for welfare standards, stocking density and the type of feed and medication the turkeys are given.

What's a bronze turkey?

If you want to your turkey to have had a longer life and increase the chances of a tasty tender bird, buying a free-range bronze turkey is increasingly popular. Bronze turkeys are the old-fashioned black coloured bird once common on Irish farms.

As they are slower to grow they should taste more tender than a commercial turkey. The meat is also said to have more flavour as the turkeys forage in grass and have a more varied diet. "There is no such thing as a dry bronze turkey," says Ronan Byrne who is rearing 600 free-range turkeys at his farm in Athenry.

"My birds take almost six months to grow and that's why I compare them to Aberdeen Angus beef. They're tender, juicy and have lots of flavour."

Free-range turkey

If a turkey is labelled 'free- range' it means the turkeys were allowed access to an outdoor area and the farms are inspected to comply with free-range regulations. Because of increasing demand many supermarkets, large retailers and farmers' markets now sell free-range, which may be white or bronze birds.They are more expensive than commercially farmed turkey but Mr Byrne says there's always a certain amount of customers that want quality. "Once people make the change they come back to me year after year."

Organic

Organic turkey is the most expensive of all the options as the turkeys are fed a diet of grains and grasses which have been grown without pesticides. They must also have access to grass and be free-range.

Taste-wise, organic will be very similar to a bronze free- range turkey but more expensive as organic feed drives price significantly upwards. If you choose to buy a premium product such as an organic turkey, check that the packaging or that the producer has an IOFGA (Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association) or Soil Association stamp.

Buying locally

Buying from a local farm is often a cheap way to get a good turkey as it cuts out the middleman.Many farms now sell direct from farm gate and some deliver turkeys to your door. If you want to be sure a turkey is free-range, buy it from a farmer you know or visit the farm. Many farmers encourage customers to see their farms and to collect turkeys once they are ready.

It also makes a lovely outing for children around Christmas time. If you're short on time, many farms now sell online.

Irish Independent

You know you want him... on a plate

You'll hear from me later in the week on what to look for when handing over your hard earned dosh for a Christmas turkey; there are some shocking rip-offs and ropey options out there. But for the moment, here's a list of farms selling direct and small producers of free-range and bronze turkeys this Christmas. Remember, instead of making your usual trawl through the supermarket you can buy turkeys and hams at farm gate, it makes for a lovely trip if you've got kids. And if you're short on time, many farms sell online with delivery. It's good value, cuts out the middleman and I've outlined the options below.

Bronze turkeys are the old fashioned black-coloured bird once common on Irish farms. They take longer to grow - about six months as opposed to the commercial white turkey which matures in a speedy 16 weeks or less. Bronze birds are more tender - I can vouch for this, and generally beat the conventional bird on flavour.

Prices:

The big supermarkets this year will have mass produced white turkeys at about €7 a kilo
Superquinn have an organic bronze at €15.99/kg which is a whopping mark up on the birds below - if you buy them from a farmer they should come in around €9 or €10 a kilo
Tesco, Aldi and Lidl are not yet releasing prices for Christmas turkeys

Free range bronze options:
Ronan Byrne’s farm in Athenry: €9.90/kg; a 12 pound bird will cost about €54 euro http://www.thefriendlyfarmer.blogspot.com/ He's a lovely fella and knows his poultry

David McEvoy in Louth €8.80/kg, order via http://www.fruitandvine.com/ and at Dun Laoghaire and Temple Bar markets

Co. Clare; Phillip Monks, Ballyvaughan www.monksfarm.wordpress.com ph. 086 8735565

Co. Kildare; Gerry McEvoy Sallins, Co.Kildare, about €9/kg http://www.bronzeturkeys.iewicklow/

Co. Louth; McEvoys’ farm Termonfeckin – http://www.termonfeckindelicious.ie/
Co. Fermanagh; http://www.macneanfarm.com/
Co. Offaly; Ger and Paula Lalor, Rhode, http://www.ballybryanturkeys.com/

Co. Roscommon; Brendan Allen http://www.castleminefarm.ie/

Co. Tipperary; TJ Crowe; http://www.crowefarm.ie/
Co. Wicklow; Colin Hadden in Tinahely http://ballyshonogfarm.ie/
Online - James Whelan butchers - will deliver http://www.jameswhelanbutchers.com/

Organic
Organic Bronze turkeys €75 each average weight 12-15 lbs from
Drumeen Farm, Kilkenny and Mary Regan, Wexford available at http://www.organicmeat.ie/

If you're up my direction in Wicklow, you can order local free range turkeys at Michael Keegans new farm shop on the road to Enniskerry Waterfall. He's a lovely fella, a full time farmer and it's great to support a local business if you live in this neck of the woods. He's also supplying hams from Ed Hick and all sorts of other goodies.

For video junkies there's a little video here on Ronan Byrne's website of his 600 strong flock of bronze turkeys making their unique turkey gobble sound and generally out having a great time in the sunny fields. Just don't mention Christmas... www.thefriendlyfarmer.blogspot.com

Happy eating x

Chocolate rabbits, fine food... Say hello to the awards season

There's very few people able to coerce the premier of any country into auctioning a chocolate rabbit but if anyone's up for the job, it's Margaret Jefferes. Margaret is founder of Good Food Ireland - a tourism and food organisation which brings together the best of Ireland's food producers, restaurants, cafes and accomodation. In my work I come across members of Good Food Ireland all the time and it's testament to Margaret that she has gathered those at the top of their game into her organisation. The sublime Merrion Hotel, Cliff House Hotel, Chapter One and food producers like Graham Roberts of Connemara Smokehouse, Glenillen Farm and Cashel Blue cheese are all members of the group. These are people and companies who I've covered in stories because they are doing something different and authentic in food. And when I travel around the country to interview farmers and food producers I always find the Good Food Ireland folk a fantastic, energetic and fun bunch of people. The minute I get out of my car they're there with a warm welcome, an honesty and humour that always makes me really warm to them. Maybe it's because they gain strength from each other in what can be a lonely business - running a food SME in a recession. But whatever the reason, they have huge passion for what they do, and I always end up chatting for hours and more importantly, laughing, a lot.

Earlier this week they held their annual conference and awards in the Shelbourne Hotel Dublin. It was an honour to asked to speak at the conference alongside the likes of Kevin O'Sullivan editor of the Irish Times, Feargal Quinn retail legend, Fred Karlsson Founder of DoneDeal.ie, and Mary Carney winner of MasterChef Ireland. Mary spoke about "Creating Great Taste Memories" and the good and bad memories we all have of Irish food which brought me back to the terrible days of the 1980s microwave lasangne but also my Donegal grandmothers insanely good soda bread. The lunchtime spread of foods from Good Food Ireland was so fantastic it was hard to take in. I think I had about fourteen separate things on my plate at one stage, everything packed with flavour, beautifully cooked and as Irish as it comes. Some of the highlights from the conference talks on the day were from Sile Gorman, Aran McMahon and Peter Ward from Country Choice who all spoke about how difficult it is to make money out of producing or serving good food, but that what keeps them going is the love affair they have with food, and the feedback they get from their customers who come back again and again.

The awards ceremony was later in the evening and it was lovely to see some great Irish businesses like Goatsbridge Trout farm, The Chocolate Garden and Ballyvolane House collect some well deserved silverware. But for me it was a race over to Trinity College for my second appointment of the day - the Bord Bia Food Industry Awards, and yes, I finished the evening pretty well fed. The Bord Bia awards were slightly different as they are aimed at larger food businesses. Huge Irish success stories like Largo crisps won awards alongside Flavahans porridge (a staple in our home), Country Crest, Green Saffron, Jameson Whiskey and a new collaboration between Kerrygold and Cashel Blue which will see the Grubb family's handmade cheese on shelves in the mega marketplace that is the USA. It's fantastic to see this kind of innovation taking place as our big brand leaders like Kerrygold could do a lot to give smaller businesses a leg up in markets where they already have a foothold. And now more then ever, when our food exports are so important in keeping jobs in Ireland is the time to exploit this further. Here's a shaky photo of Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney speaking at the event; bigging up the export performance of Irish food which is set to hit 9 billion euros by the close of the year. Just so you know, the Bord Bia dinner was St. Tola's Cheese, roast Irish pork and a berry crumble to finish. As usual with Bord Bia's events, it was beautifully done and a really lovely evening. For me it was also a chance to catch up on the gossip with other farming and food journalists and we had a lively night with lots of laughs. Particularly pleasing to me was seeing the "journalist writing tomorrows piece on back of napkin" approach is live and well, as a quick scan around the media table revealed. Having no napkin to hand, my own scribbled notes were made on the back of my speech from earlier in the day. We're nothing but enterprising, us lot.

Let them eat cake.

I used to assume garlic bread was a type of actual bread. Apparently not.

In a surprise move by the Irish Revenue Commissioners, the price of baked goods such as bagels, croissants, garlic bread are set to rise by up to 13% in new Government measures which will make them subject to VAT for the first time. This change in status is because Revenue have now decided that bagels, croissants and the like are not sufficiently "bread-like" to be exempt from VAT.

This has come as a shock not only to consumers but to the baking industry, some of whom only found out about the changes from the Revenue Commissioner's website.

Reaction from Irish food producers today isn't positive to say the least. Alongside jokes that the Germans are now writing our budget (bagels.. ) small bakeries are busy claiming that their products are in fact far more bread-like then the average sliced pan which as it stands, will not receive any price hike in terms of the new VAT regime. To be fair, there are many different types of sliced pan and they vary hugely in quality. Last year while checking out one of the UK's biggest food retail outlets - the new ASDA/Walmart in Swindon, I purchased a loaf of bread for 26p. Two weeks later this loaf had the exact same consistency and taste as the day it was purchased. Value for money? Certainly. Will I be buying it for the kids? Don't think so.

The VAT hike on baked goods comes as yet another blow for what small food manufacturers say is continuing Government disregard for their sector. Con Trass, a food producer in Tipperary points out that the apple juice he makes on his farm is already subject to 21% VAT. Putting this kind of pressure on small food businesses can be crippling and as he points out, is also a barrier to growth "With the top rate of VAT on your foods where is the incentive for farmers to diversify?"

While we won't starve as a result of our bakery tastes priced a little higher, what it will cost is jobs in small food companies, over 400 of whom are supplying specialist goods like these products to a market which is already difficult to operate in. And for consumers, it's yet more money travelling from your wallet into the black hole of an economy on the edge of the train wreak that is the euro. But for now, the question I really want to ask Revenue is "What about the blah?"

If your food has fur, don't eat it. New survey shows 46% of us eat food that's past its sell-by date

Today, survey results released by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland show that nearly half of us eat food that has passed its sell by date. No Biggie, you might say - "sell by" and "best before" dates are tools food manufacturers use to force us to throw out lots of the groceries we buy, in order to fill our trolleys with more.

But what these new figures from the FSAI and Teagasc outline is how as consumers we continually rely on our gut instinct (pardon the pun) to judge if food is safe to eat. The 46% who disregard sell by dates said in the survey that they were happy to eat food as long as it "looks and smells okay". The FSAI think the statistic is "worrying" and shows that Irish consumers are still willing to put their health at risk rather than throw something out.

There's a couple of forces at work here. Firstly, advice from all corners is that we should waste less food and shop and eat smartly. In my case this often means taking mushrooms from the back of the fridge that are probably three days past their best, and chopping them into a tagliatelle with some nice artisan pesto. Like the people surveyed, I judge for myself if these mushrooms will land me on the floor with stomach cramps or in fact, taste rather nice. As they are local, organic, and lets face it expensive mushrooms, the pressure to eat them is even greater. I even have a "I'll eat this dish but not give it to the kids" approach if I feel it presents a risk to tiny stomachs but not to mine. Again this decision making process is based not just on murky science but no science whatseover.

Also in this mix is the particularly Irish psychological pull of hating to waste any kind of foodstuff. "My brother fried up rashers that were three weeks out of date and he was fine" type story is central to upholding this belief and reinforces the notion that "use by" and "sell by" dates should only be loosely applied, at best.

The survey of 1000 consumers also reveals a lack of understanding of what "use by", "sell by" and "best before" terms actually mean. 39% of us will not eat food that has passed its best before date even if it looks and smells fine. But this then contributes to unnecessary food wastage by consumers. We should remember that best before dates are meant to provide a guideline. For example, the bacteria plentiful in cheese age and alter it on a continuous basis, changing its structure and to a point, improving its taste. Its up to us to judge when that cheese tastes at its richest, has gone past its best or presents a danger to us.

I'm regularly cavalier about "use by" dates and from these new figures its clear I'm not alone. From my work on food safety, spoilage bacteria is not the worst thing in the spectrum of threats from what we eat. Much more dangerous and prevalent worldwide are new antibiotic resistant ecolis such as E0104 which killed over fifty people in Europe this year. These unfortunately are not created by food being past its best, but carried on foods as a legacy of our food chain - most ecolis come from human or animal waste, and via an abattoir or factory onto the food we eat. They will make us ill but also carry fatal consequences such as HUS - hemolytic uremic syndrome; a really nasty sidekick of 0104 which in the German outbreak affected almost 30% of the victims who ate contaminated food, far more than in previous ecoli outbreaks.

The FSAI are right to warn consumers about use by dates and improve our understanding of them, but I feel there are bigger threats out there with much more long reaching ramifications. In Holland there have already been measures taken by both agriculture and public health authorities tackling intensive farming, antibiotics and ecoli in the food chain. It's something I hope to explore further on television as current awareness of this problem among consumers is very low, or non-existent. As one Irish academic recently told me, antibiotic resistant ecoli in food is a reality that's "boiling away in the background, we don't even know how big the problem is".

More on this topic again; it's a fast moving area and getting more relevant by the month. But for the moment, happy eating, and if it has green furry stuff on it - best throw it out.

Like beer, pubs, cheese, eating, everything? Check out this little video and a celebration of our wonderful Irish farmhouse cheeses and craft beers

Many years ago as a young producer on Ear to the Ground I set up a story on Ardrahan cheese in Cork and came home with rounds of the most gorgeous soft, richly-flavoured Irish farmhouse cheese. It was all fairly new to me at the time, and in fact in I remember sitting round with a bunch of us in the production office, digging in and generally looking wide-eyed at each other saying - wow this is Really Good... How come we didn't know about this before?
That was over ten years ago and particularly in that period, Irish farmhouse cheeses have grown from a small number of producers to over fifty businesses. These range from what I call the big players - Cashel Blue, Gubbeen etc.. who have their product on cheese boards in top restaurants and who've developed export markets to the smaller, newer entries such as Mary Kelly's Moonshine soft cheeses made in Mullingar.

The last ten years or so have also seen the growth of craft beers in Ireland. Long in the stranglehold of the big international breweries, most Irish pubs or restaurants offered little choice in anything local or alternative to drink. Now we've no excuses - with gorgeous beers from Dungarvan Brewing Company, O'Haras, and Eight Degrees Brewing and fourteen other craft brewers getting into off licenses and pubs, we finally have alternatives that are great tasting products. I adore a decent beer and any chance I get, I pick up some of the new Irish offerings. Yes they are more expensive but they taste fantastic, with real bite and flavour.

Last weekend in Ireland saw a countrywide initiative to bring craft beers and farmhouse cheeses closer to consumers who may not be aware of, or buy this kind of food and drink. Bord Bia, the national food organisation here initiated the Farmhouse Cheese and Craft Beer Weekend with over 30 activities that took place in farms, breweries, restaurants, gastropubs, off-licences and markets across the country involving tastings, pairings and demonstrations.

All these beers and cheeses have individual stories behind them and every time I eat an Irish cheese such as Glebe Brethan (a gorgeous Gruyere type cheese) I think of David Tiernan out milking his cows that morning in all kinds of weather and muck and madness. Because that's the reality of farming; it's tough, often disheartening but also rewarding for people like David when you're making a product as good as his at the end of the day. The picture left is of the cheese room at Ardrahan; a small Irish business but one creating crucial employment in rural areas [I particularly love the St. Bridgets cross on the wall; a big feature of my childhood as my parents came from the wetlands around Lough Erne]
And this is what it's all about; small family businesses and the personalities, places and stories behind them. According to John McKenna, eminent food writer here and editor of Bridgestone Guides - "We are dealing with the most bespoke artisan foods in the world here. Craft beers have the ability to take you into the brewer's highest aspiration; that potent wish to make a drink that evokes their work. They are being treated as the wines of Ireland. The farmhouse cheeses convey the good things of Ireland; pure food; fine milk, and content animals, about sharing and hospitality, and the creativity of a determined individual on a small Irish farm, stamping every cheese with the signature of their personality. It is marvellous to see them being enjoyed and appreciated together"

Check out the video below which will give you a really good picture of what's going on in Irish cheese and beer, and for my many foreign readers, its a pretty good account of what the inside of an Irish pub looks like. Though I suspect, many of you guys know that already hahaaa. Happy eating and drinking x
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1QVWkFQKjo