Food for thought

COME to Limerick and head for Castletroy and there you will find the best place in Ireland for Casual dining. That is according to the Restaurant Association of Ireland who announced LaCucina to take the coveted title at a gala reception this week in Dublin.

In a hotly contested category, the Limerick duo behind the very popular establishment Lorraine Fanneran and Bruno Coppola were “thrilled and delighted” with the win noting their surprise at the announcement. The pair credited their staff, loyal fans and customers as the restaurant continues to thrive since its refurbishment earlier this year.

THE former boss of a South Australian wine company has been found guilty of selling Chardonnay mixed with Sultana grape juice to companies including Hardy’s.
Andrew Hashim, former managing director of Rivers Wines, was convicted last week by Adelaide Magistrates Court on 34 counts of falsifying records.
Decanter reports that the scam was first uncovered in 2003, when thousands of litres of grape juice sent to major winemakers, including Hardy’s, was quarantined by the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation after buyers raised doubts over the variety.
At the time, Chardonnay grapes were selling for $1000 a tonne, while Sultana grapes were worth $250 a tonne.
Financial penalties now face both Hashim and Rivers Wines and could run to 1.5 million Australian dollars.

Bacon and cabbage shines as Ireland’s favourite dish

Bacon and cabbage is still a firm favourite among Irish food lovers. A recent survey has heralded the dish as remaining true to tradition and thus holding top spot. Aramark surveyed customers and staff in a bid to find out the favourite traditional dish and to mark the launch of ‘Celebrate Irish Food Fortnight’, a campaign to promote the use of Irish sourced produce.
While the majority of respondents (41%) favoured the Bacon & Cabbage option, 34% would choose Irish stew as their favourite Irish recipe.
78% of those surveyed enjoy preparing traditional Irish food dishes at home signalling that people still enjoy hearty wholesome Irish home cooking.
Of those surveyed, 72% are conscious of buying Irish produce.
Aramark officials noted that the hoped the campaign would help to raise awareness of the importance of sourcing locally produced food.
They said that we all have a role to play in supporting the local economy and it is great to see that the majority of survey participants are conscious of buying Irish and supporting local producers.