Meathwoman's Diary: Tucking in to our local food scene

I found myself pondering a recent newspaper article questioning whether Ireland has a clearly identifiable food culture. The writer's argument was that while we produce exceptional food, visitors to our shores might struggle to define what Irish cuisine actually is.

At first, I wasn't entirely convinced.

Perhaps it is because I have witnessed such a transformation in our food scene over the past couple of decades. I can still remember the excitement of booking a table in a celebrity chef's restaurant around 15 years ago. Back then, it felt sophisticated, modern and somehow a little glamorous. Today, however, now eateries on my doorstep seem much more exciting.

Now, I would much rather spend an evening in a small independent restaurant where the menu changes with the seasons, the vegetables have travelled fewer miles than I have, and the chef can tell you exactly where the ingredients came from. There is something special about tasting not only good food, but the passion and care behind it.

In Meath, we are blessed with rich farmland, talented farmers, artisan bakers, cheesemakers, market traders and food entrepreneurs.

Maybe that's why I struggled with the idea that Ireland lacks a food identity. On any given lunchtime in Navan, you are overwhelmed by choice. Whether it's coffee, lunch, dinner or something sweet there is no shortage of independent businesses serving quality food. Heading home through Slane, the same is true. Artisan butchers, cafés, food trucks and local producers seem to pop up around every corner. It's simply people who care about good food, using local ingredients and serving their communities.

And that got me thinking. If this is not food culture, then what exactly is?

When people speak of Italy, they think of pasta. Mention France and cheese and wine spring to mind. Yet Ireland has its own culinary traditions that are every bit as authentic. Our seafood, our dairy products, world famous beef and lamb and our tradition of hospitality all tell a story about who we are and where we come from.

Of course, our food landscape has changed. The rise of takeaways, convenience foods and the humble chicken fillet roll are as much a part of modern Irish life as anything else. But they do not define us any more than fast food defines every other nation.

Increasingly, our chefs and producers are embracing local ingredients and celebrating what grows, swims and grazes on our own doorstep.

So while others may question whether Ireland has a food identity, I find myself looking locally and seeing evidence of it everywhere. In the markets, the cafés, the farm shops and the restaurants. In the pride people take in producing good food and sharing it with others.

That sounds very much like a food culture to me.