Who are Ireland’s food champions?

Chefs, brewers, bakers, writers and publicans appointed as food ambassadors to tell visitors how to find the best Ireland has to offer

Fáilte Ireland’s new food champions (front row, l to r) Jacinta Dalton, Gabriel Faherty, Olivia Duff, Ketty Elisabeth, Garrett Fitzgerald, Chris Molloy, Ruth Healy and Brid Torrades. (Back row, l to r) Kevin Ahern, Seáneen Sullivan, Claire Dalton, Tom Flavin, Judith Boyle, Ivan Varian, Aine Maguire, Pádraic Óg Gallagher, Patrick Ryan, John Relihan, Anthony O’Toole and Niall Sabongi. Photograph: Pat Moore

Marie Claire Digby

Wed Jun 15 2016 - 16:09

Getting visitors to Ireland to “stop more, spend more and stay longer” is at the heart of a Fáilte Ireland food tourism initiative led by 16 newly appointed ‘food champions’, who join six already working in their local communities. The new appointees were chosen from more than 400 nominations made by representatives of the tourism, food and hospitality industries.

Among the new names spearheading this food tourism initiative are French woman Ketty Elizabeth, who runs Delicious Dublin Tours and writes the French Foodie in Dublin blog, and Australian-born former lawyer turned publican and restaurateur Seáneen Sullivan, who is a partner in L Mulligan Grocer in Dublin's Stoneybatter.

Elizabeth, who is from the Loire Valley, came to Dublin to work in the travel industry in 2004. "Being from outside Ireland and being recognised as a champion for Irish food tourism is an honour. Food in Dublin is so exciting, there is so much going on. I just want to show people that food is another reason to visit Dublin."

Sullivan is studying for a Masters in brewing and distilling, and is a partner in the Brown Paper Bag Project, which she describes as a locationless brewery producing collaborative beers. “I love Dublin fiercely and I love what is happening around food. This is a really exciting time to work on something like this. Part of the reason I love Dublin is that Dublin loves to celebrate what is special about itself. Dubliners love to share their tips, as though it is a great secret they are imparting only to you. We have started to do this with the food, started to tell the story,” she says.