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Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
The Menu: A rare award that has the greater good of the Irish food world as its concern
Two weeks ago, at a special lunch in Ashford Castle, Euro-Toques Ireland unveiled the winners of their annual food producer awards for 2025. Sweet suffering kidneys of Christ, says you, not more awards. With each passing year, it seems more crop up, right across the commercial world. Very often it is about self-promotion, to generate buzz and publicity for members of a particular commercial sector, to gain a bit of traction with the public and then dub them the 'Oscars of the Tricycle Importers of West Longford' or whatever product or service you're trying to flog. Increasingly, especially in the food world, awards are being created purely for the financial gain of the organisers, whose knowledge of the sector can prove surprisingly scant. Some years ago, when I used to work with small food producers, a client rang to ask about a new 'Irish food award' run by a foreign commercial entity for which they had been invited to enter. Further investigation revealed that, on top of the entry fee, there were further charges for displaying product at the awards, potentially running into thousands. Then there was the cost of attending the awards themselves. The price of a table for, say, 10 (you and all the staff of your small speciality food production business, perhaps) would again cost several thousand. It is a model used across multiple sectors, an opportunity to cash in with a lavish event, milking it for every last dime. Coincidentally, I had been invited to be a judge for these awards. Sniffing the reek of commercial opportunism, I asked how much I would be paid to compensate for my time. Nada… but it would allow me to promote my own 'brand'. Travel expenses? Nope. I regularly donate my time gratis to voluntary causes or organisations and will do so in future but I baulk at giving free time to a commercial entity primarily focused on profit. I advised said client to say no and I did likewise, subsequently noting the professional calibre of certain judges was such that they'd struggle to judge a crisp-opening competition. The Euro-Toques Ireland awards are markedly different in both structure and ambition. For starters, Euro-Toques Ireland is the Irish chapter of a European-wide, chef-led organisation dedicated to preserving and championing local food culture, traditional food craft and gastronomy, and chef-members not only pay an annual membership fee (€150) but also devote time on a voluntary basis. Food producers can also become members for free. Secondly, nominees don't 'enter' the awards or pay an entry fee; they are selected and passed through the judging process by the chef-members, only learning of their nomination once the dye has been cast. The cost of the awards lunch (members €65; non-members €80) is to cover expenses (the chef-member venue is donated free), no more, even though Euro-Toques Ireland has a skeleton professional staff, one part timer and head of community Manuela Spinella (familiar to Irish football fans as translator to erstwhile Irish football manager Giovanni Trapattoni), the only full-time employee, and membership fees and sponsorship are its sole source of income. Each nominee gets one free ticket for a gorgeous lunch with wine and can buy more at member's rate. Safe to say, Euro-Toques Ireland is an entirely ethos-driven organisation with the greater good of the Irish food world its sole concern. Euro-Toques Ireland came about in 1986 when Myrtle Allen was approached by three-star Michelin chefs Paul Bocuse (France) and Pierre Romeijer (Belgium) to form a European-wide chefs organisation on foot of growing alarm at the loss of traditional food cultures and professional cheffing practices as a result of the increasing industrialisation of agriculture and the food sector. Myrtle best represented the true values and aspirations of the organisation, once famously scolding her fellow Michelin-starred members for serving up coffee with UHT milk instead of proper milk. Her life's work at Ballymaloe was the essence of the Euro-Toques ethos in action, brilliantly cooked seasonal menus based on traditional produce of the local terroir. Enjoy a well-cooked meal of this year's Euro-Toques award-winning produce and I promise it will be a culinary highlight of your year. If you want it to be more than an annual highlight, check out Euro-Toques online and start engaging more with the cooking and produce of chef- and producer-members. Host kitchens sought Chef Network is seeking Irish restaurants and other hospitality ventures to follow in the footsteps of Glover's Alley, Aniar, Rare at Blue Haven, and many more by registering as a host kitchen for Open Kitchen Week (Nov 10-16). The initiative, in its third year, offers aspiring chefs of all ages and backgrounds hands-on experience in a professional Irish kitchen, from TY students to mature learners as well as career influencers such as parents and teachers. Host kitchens, in turn, get to showcase the culinary sector, attract new blood and help to sustain the sector's future. TODAY'S SPECIAL If new season strawberries, which I wrote about last week, are an annual edible highlight, they are nothing compared to the first new potatoes of the season. A bowl of steaming hot new spuds, chopped parsley, a grind of black pepper and drowning in enough melting butter to fund a cardiologist's yacht, is my favourite dish, death row meal and last supper all rolled into one. I always purchase my first of the year from fine independent grocery/food shop, Menloe Stores, of Blackrock, who source directly from growers but new spuds should be on shelves all over the country by the time you read this.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Booking.com targeted as hotels plan Dutch damages claims over price clauses
By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) - could face Dutch damages claims running into millions of euros after 26 hotel associations across Europe teamed up to sue the company following an EU court judgment last year over its price curbs on hotels. Europe's top court ruled that restrictions against hotels offering lower rates on their websites or on rival sites are unnecessary and could reduce competition, but also that such clauses are not anti-competitive under EU laws. Such parity clauses, which are included in contracts between online booking sites and hotels, have triggered complaints from competitors and scrutiny from regulators across Europe concerned about fewer choices for consumers. The case came before the European Court of Justice after applied for a declaration in a Dutch court on whether parity clauses are valid, prompting the latter to seek guidance from the top court. HOTREC, which represents 47 member associations in the hospitality sector in 36 European countries, said it was backing the hotel associations' damages claims. "European hoteliers have long endured unfair conditions and inflated costs. Now is the time to stand together and seek redress," HOTREC president Alexandros Vassilikos said in a statement. said it had not been informed of any European-wide legal action taken by the hotels and that their conclusions about the court ruling are incorrect. "The ECJ judgement relates specifically to questions asked by the Amsterdam District Court in relation to litigation between and some German hotels disputing the legality of price parity clauses in Germany between 2006 and 2016," a spokesperson said. "The court did not conclude that German parity price clauses were anti-competitive or had an effect on competition. The Amsterdam Court will now need to make a decision specifically on German parity clauses only." Hotels have until July 31 to sign up to the damages litigation. The hotel associations endorsing the action are in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland.
CNBC
27-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Why Europe is pivoting back to nuclear — one of its most divisive energy sources
A European-wide shift to nuclear power appears to be gathering momentum as countries hedge their bets in pursuit of more energy independence. In just the last few weeks, Denmark announced plans to reconsider a 40-year ban on nuclear power as part of a major policy shift, Spain reportedly signaled an openness to review a shutdown of its nuclear plants and Germany dropped its long-held opposition to atomic power. The renewed European interest in nuclear shows how some countries are hedging their bets in pursuit of more energy independence. The burgeoning trend appears to be driven, at least in part, by some of the costs associated with renewables, notably solar and wind technologies. "Solar and wind are still the cheapest and fastest way to drive the green transition, and that remains our focus. But we also need to understand whether new nuclear technologies can play a supporting role," Lars Aagaard, Denmark's minister for climate, energy and utilities, told CNBC via email. The renewables-heavy Scandinavian country said in mid-May that it plans to analyze the potential benefits and risks of new advanced nuclear technologies, such as small modular reactors, to complement solar and wind technologies. Denmark's government, which banned the use of atomic energy in 1985, added that it does not plan a return to traditional nuclear power plants. "We have no recent experience with nuclear power, and we lack the necessary knowledge regarding safety and waste management. That's why we must begin a serious analysis — not to replace solar and wind, but to see whether new nuclear can complement our energy system in the future," Aagaard said. Georg Zachmann, senior fellow at Bruegel, a Brussels-based think tank, said nuclear power remains the most divisive electricity generation technology in Europe. "Thereby, the renaissance of nuclear in the political discourse is somewhat surprising, given that the cost of main competing technologies, new wind and solar plants, have dropped by more than 80 percent, while those of nuclear plants have rather increased," Zachmann said. The so-called "hidden cost" of balancing and transporting electricity from renewables has been increasing with rising shares of wind and solar generation, Zachmann said, noting that this theme has recently become more apparent. Spain signaled its openness to atomic energy late last month. In an interview reported by Bloomberg, Spanish Environmental Transition Minister Sara Aagesen said that while the government is proceeding with plans to retire nuclear energy reactors over the next decade, extensions beyond 2035 could not be ruled out. Aagsen said at the time that the government was not considering anything, and no specific proposals had yet been tabled. Widely regarded as anti-nuclear power, the southern European country has been mired in a blackout blame game over green energy in recent weeks. It follows a catastrophic power outage affecting much of Spain, Portugal and the south of France. Some external observers have flagged renewables and net-zero emissions targets as possible reasons for the outage, particularly given Spain and Portugal both rely on high levels of wind and solar for their electricity grid. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the country's grid operator Red Electrica de Espana (REE), however, have both said record levels of renewable energy were not at fault for the blackout. Germany, which closed the last of its three remaining nuclear plants in 2023, recently scrapped its opposition to nuclear power in what marked a rapprochement with France. Led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the newly elected government was said to have dropped its objection to French efforts to ensure that nuclear power is treated on a par with renewables in EU legislation, the Financial Times reported on May 19, citing French and German officials. Spokespeople for France and Germany's respective governments were not immediately available to comment when contacted by CNBC. As it is low-carbon, advocates argue that nuclear power has the potential to play a significant role in helping countries generate electricity while slashing emissions and reducing their reliance on fossil fuels. Some environmental groups, however, say the nuclear industry is an expensive and harmful distraction to cheaper and cleaner alternatives. Bruegel's Zachmann said the ability of fully depreciated nuclear power plants to continue operating much beyond their lifetime, as well as the "highly uncertain" hope that next-generation small modular reactors "can be built very cheaply captures the imagination of industry and policymakers." In all likelihood, Zachmann said "new nuclear power plants will remain difficult to finance and will at very best only pay off in decades. In the meantime, the discussion whether to prefer nuclear or renewables only helps natural gas — that continues to be burnt as long as investments in clean electricity do not happen at scale." Data published by energy think tank Ember found that the EU's electricity system continued a rapid shift toward renewables in the first half of last year. Indeed, wind and solar power rose to record highs over the six-month period, reaching a share of 30% of the bloc's electricity generation and overtaking fossil fuels for the first time. Alongside renewables growth, Ember said at the time that nuclear generation across the EU increased by 3.1%.
Irish Examiner
27-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Munster producers championed at Euro-Toques Ireland Food Awards
It was another mighty Munster showing in the West yesterday at the 2025 Euro-Toques Ireland Food Awards, held in Ashford Castle Estate, in Co Mayo, as three of seven awards on offer went to food producers from the Southern province with many other Munster producers amongst the nominees. Euro-Toques Ireland, founded in 1986 by Myrtle Allen, is the Irish chapter of a European-wide chefs-led organisation dedicated to preserving and championing local food culture, traditional food craft and gastronomy, and the Irish awards carry a special prestige as chef members, numbering some of Ireland's finest, nominate and then vote on eventual award winners. This year, themed as 'Honouring Ireland's Kitchen Table', brought together over 100 chef members, food producers and others to salute some very exceptional food producers across seven categories: Water, Land, Farm, Dairy, Artisan Produce, and Traditional Craft. Tom Leach and Moe McKeown of Dingle Sea Salt Dingle Sea Salt triumphed in the Water category as highly innovative producers of Ireland's first solar-evaporated Atlantic sea salt using a fully off-grid, low-carbon process, with Salt of Kinsale, Cork, and The Sea Gardener, Waterford, also nominated. The highly progressive Moy Hill Farm, to the fore of the new wave of regenerative farming in Ireland, prevailed in the Farm category for sustainable animal rearing, for their ethical egg production and holistic approach to farming, while Tinnock Farm, Co Tipperary, was the other Munster nominee in this category. Sarah Richards' Seagull Bakery, Waterford, was a very popular winner in the Traditional Craft/Skill section for the artist-turned-baker who began out with a tiny oven in her back garden studio and now employs 30 people in their bakery and two retail outlets, in Tramore and Waterford city. Richards' business/life partner Conor Naughton said: 'We were chuffed to win amongst such great company, some really great Irish bakers nominated, and it is great to see real bread bakers celebrated for their craft at such a prestigious awards.' Sarah Richards and Conor Naughton, Seagull Bakery Richards has long championed real bread made from Irish-grown grains and works with local grain farmers in her region. 'It's great to be recognised for our commitment to developing an Irish grain network to really complete the cycle of farm to fork, to support local farmers and systems change to ensure genuinely sustainable food security for Ireland in the future.' Winners in the other categories were: Coole Farm, Co Louth (Land – Honouring Our Heritage); Ballylisk, Co Armagh (Dairy Soft Cheese), with Cork's Durrus Cheese also nominated; Wild Irish Foragers, Co Offaly (Artisan Produce – Irish Preserved Ingredients); and Salt Rock Dairy, Co Wexford (Dairy - Cultured Butter), with Irish Gourmet Butter, Waterford, and Toonsbridge Cultured Butter, Co Cork, also nominated. Hugo's Bakery, Co Clare, and Wild Flour Bakery, in Innishannon, in Co Cork, were also nominated alongside Seagull Bakery in the Traditional Craft/Skill category. Fergal Smithof Moy Hill Farm, Co Clare, which won the Farm award. After the awards ceremony, guests enjoyed a celebratory seasonal lunch of local produce prepared by Ashford Castle chefs Liam Finnegan and Jonathan Keane, the meal accompanied by a beautifully curated Harvest Table showcasing the wares of the 30-plus nominees. 'The Irish kitchen table is a symbol of trust, care, and resilience,' said Irish Examiner food writer and Goldie head chef Aishling Moore, who is also Head of the Euro-Toques Food Council. 'It is where we learn the fundamentals of food – not just how to cook, but how to value what we eat and who we share it with.' Conor Halpenny of Square Dundalk, Chair of Euro-Toques Ireland, added: 'We are honouring those who have kept Irish food grounded – producers and craftspeople who quietly shape our national identity through their work every single day.'
Mint
22-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Bundesbank Backs Delay to Trading Rules for European Lenders
(Bloomberg) -- Germany's Bundesbank said Europe should delay new global capital requirements for banks' trading businesses and could eventually consider permanent changes to them. 'It's certainly sensible to wait until it's clear what the US will do,' Bundesbank executive board member Michael Theurer said in a speech on Thursday in Frankfurt. That would provide time to 'conduct a fact check' in the interest of preserving 'the level playing field' between banks on either side of the Atlantic, he said. The European Union is considering delaying or changing planned international rules known as the fundamental review of the trading book, amid uncertainty over whether and how the US will implement them under the Trump administration. Banks have been lobbying for a lighter regulatory burden to make them more competitive, and authorities are weighing how they can simplify the rules to support growth. Potential concessions on the trading rules include alleviating data requirements, spacing out reports and other issues, Bloomberg reported previously. Such 'targeted' tweaks floated by the European Commission can simplify the approaches taken by banks and lower expenses for complying with the rules, Theurer said. While these would be temporary, 'at a later point, the commission could present a suggestion for a law that would continue the temporary measures or adjust and extend them,' Theurer said in the text of a speech he gave in Frankfurt. He added that European bank supervisors agree that approvals for determining what banks hold in their trading books as well as oversight of the so-called standard approach need to be efficient. For smaller banks, European-wide processes will be applied in a 'proportional' manner to keep costs as low as possible, he said. More stories like this are available on
