Mayo food trail a mouthwatering prospect for rest of country, Kenny

FOOD producers in Mayo will see their talents showcased as part of the innovative gourmet trail, the Great Western Greenway, Irish winner of the European Destination of Excellence Award.

An innovative tourism-focused collaboration between Mulranny Park Hotel and a number of Mayo food producers, the trail was given another lift when the Taoiseach Enda Kenny endorsed the initiative as a mouthwatering example for other tourism areas to follow.

The Taoiseach said: “I strongly welcome the Trojan efforts of the Gourmet Greenway Food Trail initiative currently underway in County Mayo.

“This is just one of the many benefits arising from the creation of the Greenway on the former railway and how it may be used to increase tourism as well as providing a boost to local businesses.

“I commend the Mulranny Park Hotel and the various local food producers that are supporting the initiative, the Taoiseach said.

“Their foresight and willingness to undertake this project will undoubtedly increase the visibility of the many famous gourmet foods that are produced in County Mayo,” he concluded.

The trail is being used to showcase artisan food producers in Mulranny, Newport, Westport and Achill. Food writer John McKenna described it as “inspiring, imaginative and authentic.”

The local producers that feature in the trail are: Sean Kelly (Kelly’s Butchers); Jerry Hassett (Keem Bay Fish Products), Michael Flanagan (Achill Island Turbot), Andrew Pelham Burn (Carrowholly Cheese), Tom Dougherty (Curraun Blue Trout Farm) and Padraig Gannon (Croagh Patrick Seafoods).

Launching the trail, John McKenna said: “The future success of Irish tourism lies in allowing people to access the natural beauty of our environment in a real, experiential way, along with letting them meet inspiring food producers, and then being able to enjoy these great local foods in destination addresses like the Mulranny Park Hotel.

“The Gourmet Greenway does all of this, in one of the most beautiful parts of Ireland, and I expect to see it copied in each and every corner of the country.

“The Gourmet Greenway is inspiring, imaginative and authentic,” he concluded.