When I started working in rural development in 1998, one of the first documents I read about the food sector was a strategic report on the baking and confectionary sector in West Cork. The report gloomily concluded that there was a need for further rationalisation and mergers, and offered little prospect for employment growth or [...]
Archive for the ‘Food producers’ Category
The Confidence of the Useful Man
Posted in Food producers, tagged dunmanway, irish food, West Cork on July 13, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Can We Feed Ourselves?
Posted in food policy, Food producers on June 15, 2009 | 11 Comments »
I recently gave a short presentation on the topic of food security against the sobering historical backdrop of the National Famine Commemoration in Skibbereen. Could we ever see a situation again in which we failed to feed people? Having committed to giving the presentation I was forced to do some research and sift through what [...]
Best of the Black Stuff
Posted in Food producers, West Cork, tagged black pudding, butchers, fresh blood puding, Local food, meat on May 14, 2009 | 4 Comments »
Despite our acclaimed cheeses, seafood, preserves and other artisan foods, traditional black pudding is the food product most associated with West Cork. I know this because we at the Fuchsia Brand do fairly regular surveys to gather information from visitors and shoppers about brands and foods they associate with West Cork and Clonakilty Black [...]
The Hidden Flavour
Posted in Food producers, tagged clonakilty, cooking, hospitality on April 20, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
If like me you’ve been spending long evenings planning your holiday you may find it reassuring to know that at your journey’s end there are dedicated tourism professionals who are also making plans at this time. And if you’re lucky you’ll stumble upon restaurants run by chefs that have the ambition and skills to [...]
Proud to be a smoker
Posted in Food producers, tagged fish, food, ireland, smoked salmon, West Cork on April 9, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Anthony Creswell from Timoleague is a committed smoker – no patches, no gum, no hypnotists instilling the mantra that smoking is vile and disgusting. Smoking is what he does and he has no intention of quitting. Such intransigence is not surprising when his smoking habit is rewarded year after year with acclaim at home and [...]
We Should Talk
Posted in Food producers, tagged cheese, Local food, recession on February 26, 2009 | 2 Comments »
I’m sitting in the stimulating setting of the new Riverside Café in Skibbereen with Bill Hogan of West Cork Natural Cheese watching jackdaws steal peanuts from a feeder intended for smaller, more colourful birds. “I think we should talk about the crisis,” Bill says to me. I agree because I want to see where [...]
Bantry CSA – the Community Solution to Getting Your Oats?
Posted in Community Food, farmers, Food producers, tagged bantry, community supported agriculture, csa, farming, sheeps head on February 11, 2009 | 1 Comment »
I have been interested for some time in a model of food production called Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) so I was delighted to find that a few pioneering souls are getting one going on the Sheep’s Head. Community supported agriculture is a relatively new socio-economic model of food production, sales, and distribution aimed [...]
Cheese sandwiches for school today
Posted in farmers, Food producers, tagged bacon, dioxins, food safety, irish pork, pigs, pork, recall on December 8, 2008 | 2 Comments »
My 6 year old daughter exclaimed in dismay as I threw the cooked ham in the bin this morning. She hates cheese sandwiches and it being Monday morning I hadn’t the imagination or energy to think of anything else. Something that would pass the lunchbox police at her desk who yuck at anything but ham [...]
Local Abattoirs: What’s at Steak?
Posted in Food producers, tagged abbatoir, butchers, irish food, Local food, meat, West Cork on November 18, 2008 | 6 Comments »
That we have seen great changes in the food scene in West Cork is undeniable. I have heard the phrase ‘artisan revolution’ used to describe these changes, award winning cheeses, smoked fish, salamis, fine patisserie and much more. Artisan is intended to draw a line and differentiate the good from the not so good. Durrus [...]
What’s happened to apples and nuts?
Posted in farmers, Food producers, tagged farming, food, fruit, nuts, skibbereen on November 6, 2008 | 1 Comment »
I realise that by the time you read this Halloween will be over and you’ll be mentally preparing yourself for Christmas, but indulge my reflections on the gradual erosion of another piece of our food culture. Now I don’t feel old enough yet to say “in my youth”, but you know what I mean, when [...]
