The food producers took time off this week to celebrate two books. Their bacon curing machines stood silent. Their cheese vats were still. The food artisans came to Dublin's Ely Winebar and CafΘ for the launch of two new guides from the industrious John and Sally McKenna.
All hailed the publication of the new Bridgestone Food Lover's Guide to Ireland books: The Traveller's Guide and The Shopper's Guide.
Before the speeches, Sally Byrnes, of Woodcock Smokery, in Castletownsend, Co Cork chatted to Pat Fleming, from Clonmel, a micro-business mentor. Fingal Ferguson, of Gubeen Farmhouse Products in Schull, Co Cork, said he wants to train in charcuterie. Mary Burns, of Ardrahan Cheese in north Cork, and chairwoman of Cβis, the farmers' cheesemakers association, was delighted with the event.
Chefs included Patrick McLarnon, head chef at Brooks Hotel on Drury Street, and Antony Ely, executive head chef at the Clarence Hotel, with his senior sous chef, Anders Ericsson, from Vaxjo in Sweden.
The two books are "very, very important", said Dr Myrtle Allen, of Ballymaloe in Co Cork, who launched the Bridgestone publications. "Without them we would not have a lot of the people there are making and selling very, very interesting foods. It's the cutting edge of Irish foods." Allen is off to Brussels in mid-November to introduce the MEPs to the best of Irish foods.