"Back in the ’80s, when Larry Goodman et al began scaling up Irish meat processing to industrial levels, the Department of Agriculture revised regulations to fit this new large operational scale, regulations that shouldn’t have been remotely applicable to small abattoirs."

'One of the smartest moves I’ve made all year was to wangle a booking for newly-opened 505 on the Saturday night of the Dingle Food Festival and Blas na hÉireann awards'

"I’m currently ‘in between’ gardens so will have none of my own produce this year but I’ll still find a day here and an evening there, to work with the harvest bounty of fine local growers."

'Almost one third of global emissions arise from food production: methane from cattle; deforestation, especially in the Amazon, to grow animal feed; and fertiliser production'

"...and nobody dealt with s**t like Vanessa, a Zen-like combo of pragmatic calculation and inspired innovation."

If steak is your USP, it needs to be top drawer every time out

"Since its formation, RBI has not only provided an invaluable support network for its members — bakers, millers, and grain growers — but has enabled the growth of a whole new marketplace for real bread, a radical alternative to industrially- produced bread."

Georgina Campbell acknowledged the challenging climate for the sector, referencing the recent closure of Dublin’s Big Mike’s, the latest hospitality casualty

"Once home to the pizza restaurant Burnt, where almost everything was coated in black in a rather nihilistic style, the space has now been cleverly redesigned into a vibrant, welcoming room."

'Each year, I throw a few children into the boot and head west for Corca Dhuibhne and we have never had anything less than a truly splendid time'