Hospitality Ireland presents a round-up of Irish food news.
Sodexo Creates Videos For Focus Ireland
Sodexo has created a series of videos for Focus Ireland.
Sodexo stated, "A series of tasty video recipes 'cooked up' by Sodexo Ireland chefs for its charity partner Focus Ireland has just been launched. 'A Simple Guide to Everyday Meals' is the first-ever recipe video series developed on behalf of the homeless charity, supporting its strategic aim to develop essential life skills for families exiting long-term homelessness. Sodexo's Jennifer Rabe (head chef at Bord Bia) and John Core (chef and group business manager at VHI) with Nicola Stewart of Focus Ireland were at the launch in the Focus Ireland Family Centre in Dublin.
"The video culinary 'first' also underpins Sodexo's commitment to provide skills-based mentoring and needs-led services to support local communities, as part of its Social Impact Pledge.
"Filmed in Bord Bia's demo kitchen in Dublin, Sodexo's volunteer chefs demonstrated how to quickly prepare and cook tasty, nutritious, budget-friendly family favourites. Each recipe is packed full of nutrition, with almost all of them designed to feed a family of four for around ten euros each. The dishes are made using standard supermarket ingredients using the minimal amount of kitchen utensils. A print copy of the cookbook 'A Simple Guide to Everyday Meals' will also be available to families accessing Focus Ireland's Family Centre in Dublin, with tips and advice on what to buy to cook healthier versions of favourite recipes without losing taste.
"Culinary director Julianne Forrestal and John Core, one of its group business managers, were two of the senior chefs involved in leading the collaborative project. John has a Master's in Applied Culinary Nutrition, and he put his skills to good use in developing the right content for the video series.
"Julianne Forrestal, culinary director, Sodexo Ireland, said, 'We are sponsors of Focus Ireland's Family Centre and the idea for the video series was born out of a mutual discussion on other opportunities for Sodexo to extend its support, utilising our corporate skills and expertise. The recipe video series was the ideal solution and a huge thank you to all our chefs who gladly volunteered their time and skills on screen and behind the scenes to make it happen. I also want to especially thank Bord Bia for giving us the use of its demo kitchen, it was the perfect location to bring the video series to life.'
"Ciara Carty - director of services, Focus Ireland - said, 'Sodexo has been long-standing supporters of Focus Ireland, partnering with us and lending their support in many ways. We are delighted to be partnering with them once again for this amazing initiative. Not only will it provide our customers with the knowledge and skills to create delicious meals, but it will also empower them by building their knowledge on nutrition and further enhancing their cooking techniques. This will only build on their confidence and will allow them to create and re-create these amazing dishes, time and time again.'
"Sodexo Ireland is one of the country's largest workplace services providers, managing staff restaurants, workspace transformation to improve employee experience, facilities management and estate management on behalf of clients in business, industry, healthcare and education.
"The Sodexo recipe video series are now live on the Focus Ireland YouTube account."
Irish Steak To Be Featured On Japanese Menus For First Time
Irish steak is to be featured on Japanese menus for the first time.
In a statement published on its website, Bord Bia said, "For the first time this December, Irish steak will be on the menu for thousands of customers in Japan. This Christmas season, restaurant chain Negishi will showcase Irish ribeye steak on its menus. This will be the first time that Irish steak will be featured on the menu of a prominent restaurant chain in Japan.
"Negishi, which has 40 outlets around the Tokyo area, specialises in various kinds of grilled beef tongue - regarded as a delicacy in Japan. From December 10th to 25th, the restaurant chain will offer city dwellers the opportunity to experience grass fed ribeye from Ireland across ten of its busiest locations.
"Negishi was an early adopter, and is now a key customer, for Irish beef in Japan. Serving approximately 100,000 customers per week across its 40 locations, Negishi is the largest customer of Irish beef tongue worldwide
"To further promote Irish beef, Negishi will this month also offer a special Christmas holiday box of Irish steak and tongue, available to order online.
"Joe Moore, Bord Bia Japan Market Specialist, said, 'Knowledge and awareness of Ireland as a stable source of quality beef has increased significantly in the Japan market in recent years. We are thrilled that Irish grass fed steak will for the first time be appearing on the menu of one of Japan's most prominent restaurant chains. Negishi are an important customer for Irish beef, and we are glad to work closely with them to provide their loyal customers with a new Irish beef experience. Japan is one of the world's largest meat importers, and Irish steak going on menu in the foodservice channel is testament to the sustained efforts of the Irish food industry to break into this market.'
"Irish beef exports to Japan have grown significantly in recent years. A total of €15.7 million in value of beef was exported in 2020, almost double the €9.5 million exported in 2019. Ireland is now the seventh largest beef exporter to the Asian country.
"Although initial growth was in the form of tongue and other offal, more recently Japan has become a destination for prime beef. Since the Japan EU Economic Partnership Agreement was implemented in 2019, tariffs on imported beef from Europe have been decreasing. Indeed, exports to Japan across categories are growing. The total value of food and drink exports to Japan in 2020 was €146 million, up 12% YOY."
Flipdish Takes Second Spot In Deloitte's Fast 50 Awards
Irish digital food ordering solution Flipdish has taken the second spot in Deloitte's Fast 50 Awards.
Flipdish stated, "Flipdish, a digital ordering platform, has today welcomed the results of Deloitte's Fast 50 Awards, in which the company takes the second spot in this year's listing, up one place on last year's awards. The Fast 50 is one of Ireland's foremost technology award programmes. Now in its 22nd year, it ranks companies based on their growth and revenue over the last four years and celebrates innovation and entrepreneurship in Ireland's indigenous technology sector.
"This year's Fast 50 awards showcases the companies that not only survived the pandemic but thrived during the turbulent year that has had significant impact on companies across all sectors. Flipdish's mission has always been to help food business owners take control of their business and during the pandemic their priority was to enable business owners to survive and thrive with Flipdish technology. Through Flipdish's offering of QR Code Order & Pay technology and Kiosks, food business owners were able to stay in line with government guidelines while also catering for their customers' needs. This is already on top of Flipdish's other offerings of online ordering through branded websites and apps which continue to be used by food businesses across Ireland, Europe and the US.
"Despite a turbulent year, Flipdish has certainly thrived and continues to do so through the pandemic. Starting 2021 with a €40 million fundraise in February, while the company's revenue increased 10x since its funding round in 2018. During 2021 Flipdish also made some notable partnerships, one being with the iconic Bewleys cafe on Grafton Street in Dublin. As well as this, Flipdish has seen some significant growth this year particularly in the US market which has grown 10x and the UK market that has grown 4x. Additionally Flipdish has been hiring at pace and today has more than 300 employees.
"The company was also awarded the inaugural Scale Up award. This award is for a company that has demonstrated an impressive ability to scale up and expand overseas over the last four years.
"Speaking on the results today, CEO and co-founder Conor McCarthy said, 'Flipdish are once again thrilled to be listed as one of Deloitte's Fast 50 companies. We are also delighted to move from number three to number two which only reconfirms the continued acceptance the hospitality sector has when it comes to new technology.
"'I also want to congratulate all those other companies who have been listed. This is a great achievement for us all. This year has been hard across all sectors but the hospitality sector has experienced and is continuing to experience significant loss when dealing with the pandemic. At Flipdish, we are hoping to be an essential partner as part of the sector's recovery and ensuring as many hospitality businesses remain open across Ireland and prosper in 2022 and beyond.'"
© 2021 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
