Articles

Memoirs by people who've spent a lifetime working in the hospitality industry are rare enough; and, when they do happen, they're often self-serving which is a great pity, because this is one of the best possible sources of brilliant stories. Paul Chatenoud is a Frenchman who runs a B&B, near Ardara in west Donegal. Paul has little time for what he calls the ayatollahs who keep us on the straight and narrow, whether it's stopping us smoking too much or drinking to excess. He's the very antithesis of another kind of Frenchman, the bureaucrat who invented VAT. Paul is an absolute and unyielding Contrarian, which is what makes this book such fun to read and, at times, astonishing. His thoughts range far and wide, from the shallows to the deeps.
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Ireland’s leading independent hospitality and travel website – Georgina Campbell’s ireland-guide.com - was honoured on Thursday 20th May at a glittering awards ceremony in Dublin’s Crowne Plaza Hotel, with the presentation of a handsome pair of awards at Ireland's leading internet industry awards, the annual Irish Internet Association & Enterprise Ireland Net Visionary Awards. The only company to receive two awards on the night Georgina Campbell's ireland-guide.com was shortlisted out of hundreds of entries in two categories “Online Tourism Award” & “Mobile Internet Innovation Award” and came out top in both categories.
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The shortlist has been announced for the highly respected annual IIA Net Visionary Awards. Georgina Campbell's ireland-guide.com has been shortlisted in two categories - Mobile Internet Innovation and Online Tourism. The shortlist has been selected by a panel comprised of a highly respected group of internet industry leaders & the winners in each category will be the person receiving the most votes from the public. Voting is now closed and the winners will be announced on Thursday 20th May
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Fans of the former Lennons Café Bar of Tullow Street in Carlow Town had to wait a long time to enjoy their wholesome food again – but it’s been worth it. Last winter Sinead Byrne and her son Ross, together with some of the old staff, moved into the spanking new Visual Centre for Contemporary Art & the George Bernard Shaw Theatre in the heart of Carlow Town - and both the restaurant itself and the venue that provides its stylish contemporary setting are proving a great asset to the town.
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The Irish Heart Foundation, safefood and the HSE have joined together for this year’s Happy Heart Eat Out month, which runs in hundreds of participating restaurants, workplaces and communities across the length and breadth of the country throughout June. Carrying the theme, ‘For a Happy Heart…Think Small’, the campaign hopes to raise awareness of portion sizes when eating out, in addition to encouraging people to choose healthy options from menus. A new Happy Heart Eat Out recipe booklet incorporating tasty and healthy recipes will be available in June, free of charge.
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Smoked salmon is a popular speciality food all around Ireland, and it is surprising how much its character can vary, in colour, texture and flavour. There tends to be a noticeable difference in texture between the muscular wild salmon (or farmed fish that have been raised in strong tidal waters offshore, eg Clare Island salmon) and salmon from inshore fisheries where the fish have less exercise, resulting in softer flesh. And, generally speaking, very orange flesh is likely to the result of additives to the feed of farmed salmon, making paler fish more desirable. But the smoking process also has to be taken into account and that varies a great deal from one smoker to another – each has their ‘secret recipe’, which makes the product unique.
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Eggs are available all year, but their natural season is spring and this is a good time to remind ourselves to make the most of them, and to look at how this most versatile of foods works with other seasonal ingredients. The ultimate natural convenience food, eggs are perfectly packaged and easily stored, and they provide a reasonably priced source of protein so the basics of an easy, quick and nourishing meal are always to hand.
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Something different by way of book reviews this month, as an unusual and interesting collection of books has come our way. Firstly, there is Jamie Does…(Penguin hardback, 360pp, £26) which is, of course, the book accompanying Jamie Oliver’s latest TV series – and is a sign of the times, as it’s based on six places that can be visited quickly and cheaply from the UK (volcanic ash allowing).
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The “Just Ask!” Restaurant of the Month winner for April is Harrys Bar & Restaurant in Bridgend County Donegal. Donal & Kevin Doherty and Raymond Moran operate this well-run bar and restaurant close to the Derry border with a real passion for the food of the area. There’s nothing they like better than shouting about it, so there won’t be much need for anyone to ‘Just Ask!’ when eating here – although they’ll ‘Just Love It!’ if you do, as their well-informed staff are just as enthusiastic about their food philosophy as they are themselves.
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With so many families now faced with reduced disposable income through wages cuts, redundancy and increased taxes, the Nutrition & Health Foundation (NHF) is asking people to see this as an opportunity to shop smart, cook smart and eat smart together, in order to establish a healthy diet for life for all the family - starting with Eat Smart Week (19th – 25th April). Now in its fourth consecutive year, this innovative initiative from the NHF aims to show that healthy eating is achievable for everyone, regardless of their cooking experience.
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