Declan Fennell, Manager, Bord Bia Amsterdam
Since the initial launch of the Dutch Chapter of the Chef’s Irish Beef Club back in May 2004, the Club which includes some of Europe’s top chefs has grown from strength to strength. Today, the Club boast a membership of over 35 chefs through its contact events in Belgium, Britain, France and the Netherlands. With plans underway to launch the Italian Chapter by the end of the year, the Chefs’ Irish Beef Club will have an extensive presence in the most important European markets.
The Chefs’ Irish Beef Club is an exclusive international forum which brings together some of Europe’s leading Michelin Star chefs who collectively endorse the high quality of Irish beef. The Club sees award-winning chefs market the advantages of Irish beef by serving it in the finest of restaurants. The result is an increased presence of Irish beef in the restaurant sector, which ultimately builds product reputation and its positioning in international markets.
Member chefs of the Dutch Chapter have a busy schedule of activities in 2009, some of the highlights include:
- Circulation of an Irish Beef Recipe Magazine in a national newspaper
As part of an initiative to heighten the awareness of Irish Beef within the Netherlands, over 800,000 copies of an Irish Beef Recipe magazines were circulated in De Telegraph newspaper on Saturday 28 March. The recipe magazine was developed by member chefs of the Dutch Chapter.
- The Academy
Under the theme of “What’s Where - Surprising Creations with Cheaper Cuts of Beef” member chefs and journalists will be invited to attend workshop involving a de-boning demonstration. Later, chefs and journalists will be teamed off into pairs and set a task of preparing some culinary delights with these cheaper cuts of beef.
- Study Visit to Ireland
Member chefs and journalists will be invited to travel into Ireland this summer to see first hand the production practices from farm to fork. These study visits provides Bord Bia with a golden opportunity to showcase the very best of Irish food, drink and indeed our warm hospitality.
By leveraging the support and goodwill of these brand ambassadors, Bord Bia will continue support the Chef’s Irish Beef Club initiative as a means of pursuing the re-positioning and differentiation strategy for Irish beef.
For further information, email: declan.fennell@bordbia.ie