Cordon d'Or - Gold Ribbon

is pleased to present the Bios and Photographs of the Winners in the

Annual International CookBooks and 'Culinary Arts' Awards - 2005

  Aidan Cotter - CEO of Bord Bia

WINNER

 

Ireland – An Bord Bia, The Irish Food Board

The Cuisine of the Year Award can be awarded to a Country or a Culinarian. This year, the Award goes to Ireland, now recognized on the world stage for its magnificent food. Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board was established by the Irish Government in 1994. The group has done tremendous work to develop and market the Irish food scene, both on the home front and overseas. Bord Bia has several overseas offices too, with their headquarters in Dublin. Their slogan and trademark Ireland – the Food Ireland is a perfect description of a country that has made tremendous strides on the culinary scene over three decades. Today, Ireland has become a gourmet's paradise, with millions of visitors traveling to Ireland, to enjoy the wonderful fresh food grown on Ireland's doorstep. The country is now filled with an incredible selection of restaurants nationwide, serving superb food; cookery schools where one can combine a vacation with learning cooking; and numerous other food activities. These include Farmers Markets, popular everywhere; and the revival of the Irish Cheese industry, which has taken off and surpassed the French Cheese industry. It is a far cry from the old days (as recently as the 1970s) of austerity, when the number of restaurants in a major city like Cork, could be counted on one hand. It was a time when the items featured on menus were the very traditional foods - steaks, Irish stew, bacon and cabbage, a small selection of fish dishes and perhaps here and there, stuffed pork cutlets, or roast beef. Today, the choice is incredible and dining out has become par for the course. Ireland and Irish Food truly deserve recognition, and the Cuisine of the Year 2005 Award.

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