Word from the West

West of Ireland food writer Anne Marie Carroll enjoys a tour of the hospitality and culinary arts department at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT).

Tourism is now Ireland’s most important indigenous industry, probably the most sustainable industry we have available to us here in the West. The importance of Food Tourism to our economy cannot be over emphasised. Notwithstanding some negative media coverage regarding some compromise within our food chain recently, it is still widely recognised that Ireland produces some of the world's greatest food.

While much has been made in recent times of the rise and rise of the standard of food and hospitality in the West of Ireland, many stars have had to come into alignment to bring this about. Talented, creative chefs, top class floor staff, promising venues, new restaurateurs and increase in commitment to local and seasonal ingredients.

Above all, no small part is due to the high standard and commitment of the staff of GMIT catering and hospitality who provide the new 'cannon fodder' to feed the ever increasing demands of Ireland's hospitality sector each season.

In the care of Cáit Noone, Head of College Tourism & Arts, I was given the ‘grand tour’. Cáit returned to Ireland from China in 2007 to take up the post of head of the Department of Hotel and Tourism Management in GMIT, advancing to her current title in 2012.

As Head of College she is responsible for the overall strategic direction and continued development of the College with an emphasis on inter-disciplinary programmes, college-industry links, international activities, and flexible modes of delivery. She also specialises in collaborating, colluding, cadjoling and convincing - there is not a culinary concern that she hasn't got some involvement in.

I also met Gerry Talbot, Head of Department of Culinary Arts & Service Industries. These two departments deliver the many courses that our growing hospitality and tourism sector require. The skills are extremely portable and can be applied to any corner of the world. Many of the college’s graduates occupy highly regarded posts around the globe as chefs and in hotel management.

Higher certificate in hotel management, higher certificate in bar supervision, higher certificate in tourism, higher certificate in hospitality studies, higher certificate in culinary arts - these are among the types of courses that are run. You can move on to a BA in those areas and others. There is also a BA honours degree for those wishing to broaden their horizons or possibly teach.

Many of the courses favour mature students either from within or outside of the industry and, if you are someone who has worked in the industry but has no formal qualifications, you may qualify for a process known as recognition of prior learning which entitles you to exception from particular studies due to your practical experience in those areas to date.

Starting this year is the exciting 'Certificate in Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship'. This free course is part of the Government-funded Higher Education Springboard initiative. A part-time course, it will be delivered by high-profile entrepreneurs including Brendan Allen of Castlemine Farms, JP McMahon, a Michelin-starred Galway restaurateur, Ronan Byrne aka The Friendly Farmer and Declan Droney of Kinvara Smoked Salmon, and delivered over two days per week for nineteen weeks at the Galway campus commencing Tuesday, 19 January 2016 and commencing at the Mayo campus in March 2016.

The training kitchens showcase new developments in food preparation. Internet access and visual aids are available to enhance the students’ learning experience whilst on the job. The well stocked central distribution larders feed out to all the kitchens.

The students work in the training restaurants - fine dining style in 'The Connemara', bistro-style in 'City of Galway,' with two fully stocked training bars in the City of Galway and the dedicated bar 'Wine Geese'.

I was treated to a five course tasting menu in 'The Connemara', absolutely delicious — the detail, the care, the balance of flavours belied the relative inexperience of the kitchen team. Apart from the individual kitchen units where basic culinary skills are taught, there are production kitchens attached to the training restaurants so students are preparing courses for service as they would in a real working restaurant with real paying customers.

A dedicated pastry kitchen teaches skills from basic to advanced levels. Their students’ chocolate sculptures and sugar craft creations are both intricate and stunning - one of the training restaurants is decorated with exhibition pieces that have won many awards, and who knew there was a competition for sugar craft architecture?

Other training facilities include a Wine Tasting Laboratory and Language Labs to further enable students to take up positions abroad. Plans are at an advanced stage for the introduction of an onsite brewery training facility. This will place GMIT at the forefront of this ever growing and innovative industry. For a sum payable by students at the beginning of the academic year, GMIT also boasts the only on site laundry to ensure that chefs whites are always pristine.

The tour with Cáit Noone was fascinating. The department is run with military precision and the emphasis is put on making the whole experience as close as possible to working in a real food business.

The department is also a sizable purchaser of goods in the local area as every day sees several kitchens running full blast with students cooking meals at every level. In the past few years they have increasingly been trying to buy from local farmers and producers with now over 70 per cent of all produce being obtained on a local level. Many of the students are required to do work experience for 12 weeks, a wonderful facility for those in the business during their busiest time in June, July, and August.

The passion and professionalism shown by the teaching staff such as Cormac Handy, Jacinda Dalton, Ulrich Hoeche and Colin Gilligan is second to none. On a local level the industry has been very supportive of the school and many of the leading organisations active in the hospitality, food and wine industry have acted as mentors to student on industry placements, give their time to help develop new programmes and encourage high performing students.

This level of support and continued success of students and graduates is reassuring and indicates that the partnership between the school, students, graduates and industry is vibrant and dynamic and will continue to grow into the future. Something which will, hopefully, continue to be mutually beneficial to all.

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Anne Marie Carroll is a freelance food writer and member of the Irish Food Writers’ Guild who lives in Galway with her husband and two children.

With a background in design and illustration, Anne Marie made the switch to journalism with a regular food and wine column in The Galway Advertiser. Her work now mainly focuses on restaurant reviews, writing and editing recipes, the development of food photo shoots, including styling and photography. She also writes for a number of other publications and works as a consultant for small producers, food retailers and restaurants.

Anne Marie writes about all things food from the West of Ireland at her blog, Warm & Snug & Fat. You can also find her on twitter as @Biscuits4ABear.