For the first time ever, an Irish chef made it to the final of MasterChef: the Professionals. Last night, Dubliner Mark O’Brien was one of three finalists featured on the flagship BBC programme, together with Luke Emmess and eventual winner Gareth Baty. He didn’t win, but for anyone who makes it to the final of … Read more
Richmond Address: 43 Richmond St S, Portobello, Dublin 2, D02 X499 Telephone: 01 478 8783 Cuisine: Modern International Website: https://www.richmondrestaurant.ie/Opens in new window Cost: €€€ It is rare to find a restaurant that takes vegetarian dishes seriously. Too often it is a that-will-do nod; a pasta dish, a risotto or … Read more
Hilda Crampton and Dominic Quinn of Castleruddery Organic Farm in Co Wicklow have been presented with a lifetime achievement award by the Irish Food Writers’ Guild (IFWG). Castleruddery in Wicklow has been certified organic since 1989. The farm has provided produce for restaurants such as Allta, Comet, and Lottie’s in Dublin, Little Acorn Cafe in … Read more
From the fifth storey of Belvedere College in Dublin 1, floor-to-ceiling glass windows give an uninterrupted view out to the Howth peninsula, taking in the city’s Georgian rooftops and the smooth blue of the Irish Sea. This is the vista from the school’s climate-controlled grow chamber, where plants flower in vertical towers of plastic under … Read more
A new scientific review highlights a growing environmental challenge linked to modern food production. Researchers report that waste from livestock and aquaculture operations now contains a complex mix of emerging contaminants that can spread through ecosystems and ultimately affect human health. The study synthesizes recent global research on so-called new contaminants, including antibiotic residues, antibiotic … Read more
“Ultra-processed food linked to harm in every major human organ.” “Hidden food additives linked to early death.” “Ultra-processed foods may help explain rising bowel cancer in under-50s.” The headlines keep coming, and we keep eating, a lot. Up to half of the average diet in the Republic is now estimated to be ultra-processed, but we … Read more
In the early 18th century, Finland was familiar with the fear of hunger. A famine fuelled by an unpredictable climate had killed off a third of the population in the 1690s. The Great Northern War with Russia further disrupted farming, as well as everything else, in the first 20 years of the century. So in … Read more
“Waiter, there are fragments of synthetic polymers in my soup” does not have quite the ring to it as the old joke about the unappetising fly. Research presented at an American Society for Nutrition conference in Orlando, Florida, that ended this week suggests that food and drink are much more likely to harbour harmful plastics … Read more
Can food really be your best medicine? A new review maps how tailored diets could transform public health—if science can keep up with the hype. Food as medicine intervention pyramid. Review: Advances in Food-as-Medicine interventions and their impact on future food production, processing, and supply chains In a recent review published in the journal Advances in … Read more
Toxic chemicals and microplastics in soil and water are fueling a global heart disease crisis — but researchers say solutions are within reach. Review: The links between soil and water pollution and cardiovascular disease. Image Credit: daniilphotos / Shutterstock A recent study published in the journal Atherosclerosis reviewed the links between water and soil pollution and human … Read more