Irish beef on the menu at ‘Olympics of the Culinary World’ in France

Irish beef is being used as the key meat ingredient at the prestigious Bocuse d’Or culinary competition in Lyon, France, today and tomorrow.

Widely regarded as the ‘Olympics of the Culinary World’, the competition is a centrepiece of the SIRHA foodservice trade show, which attracts over 170,000 food buyers and almost 5,000 international chefs. Irish beef exports are valued at €1.9bn annually and are set to grow by 10% this year.

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said: “Bocuse d’Or offers a timely opportunity to showcase and affirm the reputation of Irish beef.

“With the majority of our beef exports destined for European markets, the priority is to differentiate and position Irish beef by presenting a premium image to secure its place in an increasingly competitive marketplace.”

Bocuse d’Or features chefs from across all five continents. Following a rigorous selection process, Irish beef was selected for its grass-fed nature, sustainable farming methods, world-class quality, taste and tenderness.

Bord Bia chief executive Aidan Cotter said: “Our involvement with Bocuse d’Or is aligned with Bord Bia’s strategy of working with chefs internationally to raise awareness of the quality of our produce. Irish beef has already garnered a comprehensive following amongst many of Europe’s Michelin star chefs.

“Securing this much sought after accolade is an invaluable endorsement and recognition of Irish beef.

“It is hoped that the chefs involved, many of whom have already secured a Michelin star, will be encouraged to introduce Irish beef as a regular feature on their menus.”

Bord Bia will also use the opportunity to build the awareness and membership of its Chef’s Irish Beef Club, an initiative under way since 2004 to promote the benefits of using Irish beef amongst international chefs.

As a ‘Bocuse d’Or Member’ Irish beef will join an exclusive list of premium products and haute cuisine brands. Bord Bia and Irish beef producers will promote Irish beef to the gathering of world-renowned chefs.

Bocuse d’Or director Florent Suplisson said: “The choice of Irish beef for the 2013 edition of the Bocuse d’Or is in line with the tradition and overall objective of our competition. Our committee takes great care in choosing the products for our candidates and we only select the world’s best product offerings.”

Seven Irish companies are in Lyon this week to exhibit at Bord Bia’s Ireland stand. France is the leading eurozone market for Irish food and drink products, and is Ireland’s second largest global market after the UK. In 2012, Ireland’s exports to France were valued at €614m.