Beer and Food: A Naturally tasty combination

The European tradition of matching beer to food is no secret to people in Ireland, yet it has never really caught on here. Beer Naturally is a campaign organised by Diageo, Heineken and Inbev to change that as this colunm discovered recently when it happened upon a Master Beer Sommelier, Marc Stroobant.




Belgian Master Beer Sommelier, Marc Stroobant.

Marc has been employed by Beer Naturally to promote this tasty campaign all around the country. The Master Beer Sommelier hails from Belgian and has spent many years in London. His quiet confidence and charming demeanour convinces you he knows something you don’t know and he is quite willing to share. The man has changed diets and mindsets about food and beer all over Ireland already.

Matching food with alcohol is not difficult and has been a past time of many a food lover for centuries. Everyone knows white wine and fish is a winning combination, prosecco with strawberries and coffee with just about anything from baileys to rum. There is a sense of luxury associated with combining food and alcohol. It’s something you do at special events like a wedding or at Christmas. Well it doesn’t need to be a special occasion and it needn’t cost you a small mortgage just to enjoy your dinner with a suitable and flavourful drop of the good stuff. Beer Naturally is a three year Campaign that aims to bring beer to the dinner table in Ireland.

Irish people drink beer more than any other variety of alcohol yet until very recently we have only combined the most popular beverage with salty unhealthy snacks and starchy potato based dishes. The people of Northern Europe, Belgium most notably, have been quietly enjoying a much wider spectrum of beer gastro fusions since brewing began. Belgians really know their beer, often adding seasonal fruits for interesting twists and producing festival beers for Christmas or even Oktoberfest.

The more commonly consumed beers in Ireland tend to be pilsners and blonde beers. The average punter possibly has no idea whether they are supping a pilsner or a blonde and they are usually blissfully unaware of the immense taste and colour variety available in the secret world of beer brewing. The longer a hop is roasted the darker the beer will be and the heavier it will taste.

Weiss Beers are light tasty and often can be nice with a wedge of lemon or lime to make them even crisper. These beers are great when enjoying a summer fruit salad or even at dessert time if you are having a lemon sorbet. Darker beers have been roasted for longer and go great with strong flavoured food, so Guinness and Belgian Chocolate is a phenomenal experience that will leave your taste buds screaming for more. Simple tastes and beers are also catered for with Heineken being an excellent companion for cheese and crackers. Yes, cheese and beer tastes great. You don’t have to take my word for it though; you are free to experiment and see for yourself the wonders that await you.

Not only is gastro fusion a taste adventure it comes with the added benefit of promoting sensible drinking. If you eat while you drink it’s less likely you will become intoxicated and you may even enjoy the taste sensation that explodes in your mouth.

For more exciting combinations check out http://www.beernaturally.ie/ and here’s one last piece of mind altering gastro fusion advice. Hoegaarden, a Belgian white beer, is made with coriander and makes Thai food taste even better than anyone ever knew food could taste. Have a sip, close your eyes and think about it.

Spa offers tonic for the mind

A HOTEL spa owned by Annascaul businessman Tom McCarthy has been awarded the Best Holistic Spa accolade for 2009 by Irish Tatler Magazine.

The judges conferred the award on the Yauvana Spa at Cork's Kingsley Hotel 'behind whose doors a total mind and body rejuvenation awaits.' The hotel owner, Tom McCarthy, is the former owner of the Hillgrove Hotel in Dingle and is well known in GAA circles as former chairman of the West Kerry board.


His daughter, Sandra Kennedy, who managed the Hillgrove in Dingle for 15 years is now the managing director of the Cork hotel.

According to the award judges the Yauvana Spa was chosen as it is Ireland's only fully customised Ayurvedic Spa, and has Yauvana therapists who are expert in the ancient Indian art of Ayurveda.

Fancy a night at the insect hotel!

The insect hotel in Tallanstown.

"TALLANSTOWN has two hotels now!", laughs Richie Barry, as he demonstrates accommodation for the villages bugs, bees, and slugs. "We have created two ' insect hotels' on the Glyde Road just out of the village which are now part of our ecology trail," he explained.

Constructed from discarded pallets and recycled wood, supplemented by materials salvaged from routine environmental and management operations in the area, the ' hotels' have certainly been a hit with visitors and locals alike.


"We have all manner of insects living there from wood boring beetles to centipedes, spiders and woodlice. The range of materials used provide many different nooks and crannies that a range of species can hide in over the winter," said Richie.

The creepy crawly theme is continued at another ecological hotspot just yards away with the Tallanstown Trapdoor to Nature.

"This was first installed in early 2008 as part of the nature studies of Vere Foster National School. When lifted, it reveals a variety of insects which rapidly scurry out of sight!"

He explained that the door is permanently hinged to a length of wood, set in the ground, so that it is always replaced in exactly the same position to lessen the disturbance to organisms beneath.
"Both these projects have proved really popular with the schools kids, who can come up from the school on their nature trail to investigate the new residents at the hotel, and what's lurking under the trapdoor," said Richie.

The visiting Entente Florale judges were also especially taken with these unusual features on the ecology trail, said Richie.

High-speed link offers hotel guests complete connectivity

Complete Telecom in four-year deal with Carton House

Complete Telecom, the managed network and telecoms services provider, has delivered what it describes as an ultra high-speed internet network to Carton House in Maynooth.

This deal makes the hotel and leisure destination the first in all Ireland to have 100MB internet connectivity (with the ability to offer up to 1GB). The contract is worth €200k over four years. The luxurious hotel, built in 1739 by the 19th Earl of Kildare, checks in over 450,000 business and leisure guests yearly. The new IP infrastructure, part of a multi-million investment by Carton House, is aimed at attracting prestigious business events.

The high-speed uncontended broadband network has been set up throughout the 1,100 acre estate, giving guests access to a full range of business and entertainment digital services direct from their rooms. Carton House GM David Webster described the new service as "a significant milestone."

Complete Telecom's Neil Wisdom, sales and marketing director, noted that his firm had also delivered high-speed internet connectivity to Tallaght Stadium in time for July's friendly match between Shamrock Rovers and Real Madrid.

Jurys raises €70m for expansion

JURYS Inns Group has raised £60 million (€70m) to support the continued growth and expansion of its business and to strengthen its balance sheet.

The group’s existing shareholders, Quinlan Private (QP) and the Oman Investment Fund, took part in the cash call along with its existing bankers.

Under the terms of the deal, completed last week, £30m involves fresh debt with the rest involving an injection of freshequity from the two shareholders, who each have a 50% stake in the group. The chain was bought for €1.1 billion from the family of the late PV Doyle in mid-2007.

Since the property crash its value has slumped and could rest at €600m at present, almost 50% less than the original purchase price. Derek Quinlan, founder of QP, is to step down as chairman and partner at the end of this month, 20 years after he founded the group. QP is a multi-billion group that has attracted investors from Britain, the US and the Middle East and with investments in more than 15 countries.

The property slump has put severe financial pressure on Mr Quinlan, a former tax inspector, who has built up a substantial private property portfolio supported by a coterie of high net worth individuals. He has been locked in negotiations with his bankers about some of those investments which include the Bank of Santander’s head office in Madrid, bought for €1.9bn last year and Citigroup’s high profile office in London’s Canary Wharf, bought for €1.2bn in 2007. Jurys Inns is just one aspect of the QP property investment portfolio with hotels in Britain and Ireland. It will open its first mainland European hotel in Prague in September 2009. Last night a company spokesman for the group said the "focus" in the period ahead will be in British market.

The forthcoming London Olympic Games in 2012 offers good opportunities to the group to grow further in the British market, he said. John Brennan, chief executive of the Jurys group said: "The success of this fundraising is a vote of confidence in Jury Inns’ business model and our growth plans. Despite the challenges thrown up the global economic slump we believe that our focus on superior hospitality, value for money prices and prime city centre locations positions us well both now and for the future", he said.

The group operates seven hotels in Ireland and 21 in Britain. The opening of Prague will bring its total number of rooms to almost 7,000. Established in 1993, Jurys Inns is owned by QP and the Oman Investment Fund which took a 50% stake in the group last August, an investment arm of the Sultanate of Oman.

Guide showcases tasty treats at digestible prices

ONE of the good things to come out of this recession is the opportunity to dine in style and on the cheap.

The latest Good Eating Guide to Ireland, launched last night by Arts, Sport and Tourism Minister Martin Cullen, features almost 300 hotels, restaurants and pubs that are offering flexible pricing, value menus and special offers. Portside Media has printed 85,000 copies of the guide, which will be available in tourist information offices or at any of the establishments featured.

Publisher Paddy McCarthy said the guide was available free of charge because the money had been generated from the cost of the entries, which were reduced by 25% this year, to encourage more eating establishments to become involved.

"Restaurants are responding to the current financial difficulties and have terrific value-for-money menus available now. There is a lot of business still out there," said Mr McCarthy.

Portside Media had been publishing the guide for past 19 years and, up to now, it only contained restaurants affiliated to the Restaurants Association of Ireland. This year the association failed to get a sponsor for the guide but Portside decided go ahead and publish the guide independently. Pubs and hotels were also invited to submit entries for the first time. At the launch last night at Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud Mr Cullen said the guide was a valuable directory of the variety and quality that is available in the hospitality sector in Ireland.

Mr Cullen said the tourism industry was a significant driver of Ireland’s economy, representing about a quarter of a million jobs and €4.8bn in foreign revenue earnings. "An estimated seven million people will still visit Ireland this year and that is a lot of business to compete for," he said. Mr McCarthy said the guide would also be at the website www.bestdish.ie, which would be up and running very shortly.

Fast food chain expands network

ONE of Cork’s most famous fast food outlets is expanding in Munster and generating new jobs.

Hillbilly’s is investing €600,000 in a new operation in Ennis with the creation of 15 jobs. Established in Cork in 1997, the takeaway which specialises in "a breast in a bun" burger, has grown to become a multimillion euro company, according to its owner.


Speaking about the expansion, Michael Grace said: "We are delighted to open in Ennis – the boutique capital of Ireland, and create additional employment here. In times of recession Hillbilly’s see the necessity to invest and develop its network to ensure that we maintain our position as market leader in Ireland. Fast food can be nutritious and tasty and our focus is to maintain the highest quality standards at a competitive price."

The company said that where possible it sources its ingredients from Irish suppliers. It has nine outlets in Cork, Dublin, Tralee, Carlow and Waterford. Lord Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Frankie Neylon, will officially open the outlet on O’Connell Street, Ennis today. According to the Hillbilly’s website, one of the company’s outlets can generate turnover of €25,000 a week.

Meanwhile, figures from Just-Eat.ie found that Irish people munched their way through up to €780 million worth of takeaway food last year, making them the biggest spenders on takeaway food in Europe. According to James Galvin, managing director of Just-Eat.ie, the market for takeaways and fast food is growing in Europe at 9% year-on-year.

76 get norovirus aboard German cruise ship

Seventy-six people, including paying passengers and crew, were infected with norovirus aboard the Transocean Tours-operated cruise liner Marco Polo.

A German cruise ship operator says at least 76 people on a ship off the coast of Scotland have been infected with norovirus.

The Bremen-based Transocean Tours said Tuesday that 54 passengers and 22 crew members were infected among the 1,109 people aboard the Marco Polo. Two of sick people were taken to a hospital after the ship docked at the Scottish port of Invergordon.




Seventy-six people, including paying passengers and crew, were infected with norovirus aboard the Transocean Tours-operated cruise liner Marco Polo.

The world's funniest passenger complaint letter sent to Sir Richard Branson

A complaint letter sent to Sir Richard Branson, which is currently being emailed globally and is considered by many to be the world's funniest passenger complaint letter.

"Dear Mr Branson

REF: Mumbai to Heathrow
7th December 2008

I love the Virgin brand, I really do which is why I continue to use it despite a series of unfortunate incidents over the last few years. This latest incident takes the biscuit. Ironically, by the end of the flight I would have gladly paid over a thousand rupees for a single biscuit following the culinary journey of hell I was subjected to at the hands of your corporation.

Look at this Richard. Just look at it: [see image 1].


I imagine the same questions are racing through your brilliant mind as were racing through mine on that fateful day. What is this? Why have I been given it? What have I done to deserve this? And, which one is the starter, which one is the desert? You don’t get to a position like yours Richard with anything less than a generous sprinkling of observational power so I KNOW you will have spotted the tomato next to the two yellow shafts of sponge on the left. Yes, it’s next to the sponge shaft without the green paste.

That’s got to be the clue hasn’t it. No sane person would serve a desert with a tomato would they. Well answer me this Richard, what sort of animal would serve a desert with peas in: [see image 2].
I know it looks like a baaji but it’s in custard Richard, custard. It must be the pudding. Well you’ll be fascinated to hear that it wasn't custard. It was a sour gel with a clear oil on top. It’s only redeeming feature was that it managed to be so alien to my palette that it took away the taste of the curry emanating from our miscellaneous central cuboid of beige matter. Perhaps the meal on the left might be the desert after all. Anyway, this is all irrelevant at the moment.

I was raised strictly but neatly by my parents and if they knew I had started desert before the main course, a sponge shaft would be the least of my worries. So lets peel back the tin-foil on the main dish and see what’s on offer. I’ll try and explain how this felt. Imagine being a twelve year old boy Richard. Now imagine it’s Christmas morning and you’re sat their with your final present to open. It’s a big one, and you know what it is. It’s that Goodmans stereo you picked out the catalogue and wrote to Santa about. Only you open the present and it’s not in there. It’s your hamster Richard. It’s your hamster in the box and it’s not breathing. That’s how I felt when I peeled back the foil and saw this: [see image 3].

Now I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking it’s more of that Baaji custard. I admit I thought the same too, but no. It’s mustard Richard. MUSTARD. More mustard than any man could consume in a month. On the left we have a piece of broccoli and some peppers in a brown glue-like oil and on the right the chef had prepared some mashed potato. The potato masher had obviously broken and so it was decided the next best thing would be to pass the potatoes through the digestive tract of a bird.

Once it was regurgitated it was clearly then blended and mixed with a bit of mustard. Everybody likes a bit of mustard Richard. By now I was actually starting to feel a little hypoglycaemic. I needed a sugar hit. Luckily there was a small cookie provided. It had caught my eye earlier due to it’s baffling presentation: [see image 4].

It appears to be in an evidence bag from the scene of a crime. A CRIME AGAINST BLOODY COOKING. Either that or some sort of back-street underground cookie, purchased off a gun-toting maniac high on his own supply of yeast. You certainly wouldn’t want to be caught carrying one of these through customs. Imagine biting into a piece of brass Richard. That would be softer on the teeth than the specimen above.I was exhausted.


All I wanted to do was relax but obviously I had to sit with that mess in front of me for half an hour. I swear the sponge shafts moved at one point. Once cleared, I decided to relax with a bit of your world-famous onboard entertainment. I switched it on: [see image 5].

I apologise for the quality of the photo, it’s just it was incredibly hard to capture Boris Johnson’s face through the flickering white lines running up and down the screen.

Perhaps it would be better on another channel: [see image 6].





Is that Ray Liotta? A question I found myself asking over and over again throughout the gruelling half-hour I attempted to watch the film like this. After that I switched off. I’d had enough. I was the hungriest I’d been in my adult life and I had a splitting headache from squinting at a crackling screen. My only option was to simply stare at the seat in front and wait for either food, or sleep. Neither came for an incredibly long time.

But when it did it surpassed my wildest expectations: [see image 7].

Yes! It’s another crime-scene cookie. Only this time you dunk it in the white stuff. Richard…. What is that white stuff? It looked like it was going to be yoghurt. It finally dawned on me what it was after staring at it. It was a mixture between the Baaji custard and the Mustard sauce. It reminded me of my first week at university. I had overheard that you could make a drink by mixing vodka and refreshers. I lied to my new friends and told them I’d done it loads of times.

When I attempted to make the drink in a big bowl it formed a cheese Richard, a cheese. That cheese looked a lot like your baaji-mustard. So that was that Richard. I didn’t eat a bloody thing.

My only question is: How can you live like this? I can’t imagine what dinner round your house is like, it must be like something out of a nature documentary. As I said at the start I love your brand, I really do. It’s just a shame such a simple thing could bring it crashing to it’s knees and begging for sustenance.

Yours Sincererly

XXXX

Paul Charles, Virgin’s Director of Corporate Communications, confirmed that Sir Richard Branson had telephoned the author of the letter and had thanked him for his “constructive if tongue-in-cheek” email. Mr Charles said that Virgin was sorry the passenger had not liked the in-flight meals which he said was “award-winning food which is very popular on our Indian routes.”

New safefood campaign warns consumers of food hygiene dangers in the home

84% of people did not wash hands properly after handling raw chicken. 72% did not properly wash knife used in preparing raw chicken before reuse on salad vegetables.

safefood today launched a new advertising campaign to highlight common and widespread poor food hygiene practices in the home as new research revealed that 84% of people did not thoroughly wash their hands after handling raw chicken.

The campaign titled “Don’t Take Risks” focuses on key messages of proper hand washing, proper cleaning of cooking utensils and thorough cooking, steps all of which can help minimise the risks of food poisoning in the home. The research also revealed that 72% failed to properly wash a knife used in preparing raw chicken before its reuse on salad vegetables, and 56% did not check if the chicken was cooked properly.

The safefood study recorded the food hygiene practices of 120 participants across the island of Ireland while they prepared two meals – a homemade beef burger and a warm chicken salad. The research findings revealed poor food hygiene behaviours, with more than a third of what participants considered to be “cooked” beef burgers being contaminated with raw meat bacteria. In addition, more than half of consumers did not thoroughly wash the chopping board used to prepare raw mince before reusing it to prepare salad.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign, Martin Higgins, Chief Executive, safefood said “There is clear evidence that consumers are not following basic hygiene rules in the kitchen when they are preparing food, therefore putting loved ones at risk from food poisoning. This campaign is a powerful, visual reminder to consumers of the dangers of poor food safety behaviour, as they may often be unaware of how their day to day food preparation habits can cause themselves and others harm. By following some simple food hygiene practices, consumers can help prevent the spread of food poisoning bacteria around the kitchen”.

The safefood “Don’t Take Risks” campaign reinforces three golden rules: cook chicken and minced meat thoroughly until piping hot all the way through with no pink meat remaining and the juices running clear; always wash hands in warm, soapy water after handling raw meat or chicken; and always wash utensils such as knives and chopping boards thoroughly after use with raw meat and chicken and before reuse with ready to eat foods such as salads.

Dr. Gary Kearney, Director Food Science, safefood added “Our research highlighted real food safety issues in the kitchen relating to food preparation and hygiene, which are addressed in a dramatic way in this campaign. safefood commissioned this study to look at the way in which people prepare meals in their homes. This study also highlights inadequate hand washing habits, as one third of participants still had raw meat bacteria contamination on their hands after preparing the meals. We would urge all consumers to consider these significant findings, examine their own food preparation behaviours and to take these easy steps to always prepare food safely”.

“Don’t Take Risks” is a two year campaign and consists of three, 20 second live action television advertisements with the themes of “Knife”, “Hands” and “Flame”. This phase of the campaign comprises two bursts of activity; the first launching on 13th July for three weeks on television and a second burst in September for a further three weeks on television. The campaign will also be supported by online activity at www.safefood.eu and PR and Direct Marketing activity.

For more information on food safety in the home, please contact the safefood helpline on 1850 40 4567 (ROI), 0800 085 1683 (NI) or visit http://www.safefood.eu/.

Five-star hotel plan for H&W building

Preserving history: A Titanic-themed boutique hotel is to be created at the old headquarters of Harland and Wolff, the Belfast shipyard which built the ill-fated liner;

A planning application has been lodged to convert the listed building, which can be seen in the ariel view of the shipyard;


Tourists visiting the Drawing Room, where the Titanic’s blueprint was drawn up. In January a separate application was made for the restoration of the ornate offices; the mighty White Star liner which sunk on her maiden voyage with a huge loss of life in 1912.

A Titanic-themed boutique hotel is to be created out of the old headquarters of the Belfast shipyard which built the mighty liner. A planning application has been lodged to turn the listed former Harland and Wolff HQ into a five-star, 90-bedroom hotel.

The project will involve the refurbishment, part-restoration and extension of the red brick building on Queen’s Island in the east of the city, complete with provision of swimming pool, gym and spa facilities. The hotel plan is part of the redevelopment of 185 acres of former shipyard land in what has been named The Titanic Quarter.

The developers, Titanic Quarter Ltd, said it was “one of the largest mixed use developments under way in Europe and additional hotel space is an integral part of that mix”. “Given the enormous global interest in the Titanic and the building’s close association with the ship, such a hotel will add to the Northern Ireland tourist experience,” a spokes-man said. “The plans for the hotel have been devised in consultation with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and will help ensure that the building is appropriately refurbished and restored.”

In January a separate planning application was lodged for the restoration of two Drawing Offices where the Titanic’s blueprint was drawn up. The offices form a part of the former shipyard headquarters and the proposal is to make the ornate offices available for public events. Hundreds of millions of pounds are being pumped into the Titanic Quarter in the provision of commercial, residential and educational developments, including a new site for the Belfast Metropolitan College and the Public Records Office.

The hotel is part of the centrepiece ‘Titanic Signature Project’, which is intended to bring alive the area’s history. The project will include the restoration of the Thompson Dock and the slipways where the Titanic and sister ship Olympic were built. A £90 million Titanic Signature building is proposed to stand at the head of the Titanic slipway. The Titanic Quarter development is expected to attract significant numbers of visitors. The recent Tall Ships Festival drew some 500,000 people to Belfast’s waterfront in just three days, and the Titanic Signature Project is expected by the developers to draw around 400,000 a year.