The Week In Food #10: From six-figure whiskey to food in Ireland's Ancient East 🍽
And Happy Mother's Day, for the day that's in it!
Welcome to The Week In Food for Sunday 11 March, 2024 - and happy mother’s day too!
We’ve hit double figures on the podcast episode front this week, and so too for The Week In Food as the first week of March moves into the second and we edge ever closer to St. Patrick’s weekend.
I’ll have no talk of green pints, colcannon or anything of that ilk this week, but I have handpicked some interesting stories for you this week, the first in particular opening my eyes to a world where cryptocurrency and fine whiskeys collide.
That said, let’s get on with this week’s edition…
This week’s top reads…
1. Six-figure whiskey
So on Thursday of this week, a special ruby and gold-laden crystal bottle became one of the most expensive bottles ever sold at auction via BlockBar, reaching double the $60,000 starting bid.
This is the Midleton Very Rare 40th Anniversary Ruby Edition, with Irish Distillers releasing a 550-bottle limited edition range to celebrate 40 years of Midleton Very Rare, the pinnacle of Irish whiskey.
The release has become one of the most expensive whiskeys ever sold on BlockBar (they sell wines and spirits as NFTs, to be exchanged for the real deal) with the remaining bottles on sale now at middletonveryrare.com for only $20k a pop.
2. West Waterford Festival Of Food
Also this week we saw the official launch of the West Waterford Festival of Food.
All roads lead to Dungarvan, Co. Waterford over the weekend of the 19th to 21st of April, where In all, over 80 food events and activities centred around Dungarvan and the surrounds are booked for the 2024 edition of the festival with all ticketed events going on sale tomorrow, Monday March 12th.
A mix of free and paid events are being held including The Kitchen Table Talks featuring Sally Barnes in conversation with Kate Ryan, Fintan O'Toole, Paul Flynn, Michael Sheehan, Moe Dunford and more. There's a Spanish Feast at The Tannery, a Walk, Talk and Taste tour on Saturday, a big ticket dinner at Lismore Castle, a seafood lunch at the Michelin-star Cliff House Hotel with chef patron Tony Parkin and lots more. Market lovers can take in the Quayside market on Saturday the 20th while Sunday sees everything come together for the showcase festival market on Grattan Square, both days getting underway from 10am.
3. Fast food dining set to change?
Per the Independent this week, fast food dining experiences in Ireland look set to change thanks to new rules coming out of Europe.
As it stands, fast food chains could soon be banned from serving customers drinks in certain types of paper cups, companies banned from providing customers with mini sachets of ketchup or mayonnaise, and eateries banned from serving food in disposable plastic packaging on site.
That would make the inside of McDonald’s look pretty interesting.
Original article: Fast food chains could be banned from serving drinks in paper cups under new EU rules
4. When they say “eat your greens”, it might well pay off in the end
It’s only since I turned 40, maybe even in my late 30s, that I’ve been upping my consumption of green foods. I’m still 40, so it’s not all that long ago.
Anyway, According to one Harvard nutritionist and another Harvard-trained neuroscientist, the key to a healthy brain turns out to be green leafy vegetables. This includes kale and spinach, lettuces, cabbage, swiss chard, bok choy and mustard green. Why? Because they're rich in B vitamins, high in brain-boosting nutrients and they're full of fiber.
I reckon if you can look after your heart health, and brain health, you’ll be going a long way towards extending your longevity.
5. What are shoplifters really after in Spain?
Move aside cigarettes and wine, the most stolen product in supermarkets across Spain is now olive oil, according to the Guardian. Not only that, but olive oil is now the target of organised criminal gangs (this could be a plot line for Line of Duty: Costa del Sol) looking to shift olive oil to the black market.
Olive oil has become the most stolen product in supermarkets across Spain, with organised criminal gangs targeting the “liquid gold” to resell on the hidden market, according to new figures.
Not only that, but there are reports of Spanish supermarkets locking down displays of five-litre drums of olive oil, or padlocking them altogether.
Shortages across Europe have led to prices in Spain increasing from €5 a litre to €14 a litre in some cases.
Read: Olive oil becomes most wanted item for shoplifters in Spain
Read: Olive oil most stolen item in many Spanish supermarkets as gangs target 'liquid gold'
Further reading
Do you Need more reading on your Sunday morning or a second coffee? These stories should see you right…
Hotelier Lorraine Sweeney predicts more restaurant closures across the year with some Irish towns potentially left without a spot to eat
A number of coffee trailers operating around Dublin are offering ex-offenders the chance to learn a new skill and get back into employment
Junk food is killing us. Here’s how to fight back
A social post about Five Guys went viral for the wrong reasons this week with fast-food costs soaring in the US
Jennifer Yule looks at why vegan products are being left on the shelf
Recipes for the week ahead
Looking for something different to cook this week? While last week was all about sustainability and reducing food waste, this week takes a different slant.
Got bacon? Got eggs? Whip up a Quiche Lorraine, pronto.
Got more bacon? Got chicken? Chef Wade Murphy’s got you covered with a tempting chicken casserole.
We’re going all the way to New York, to come all the way back to Ballymaloe for some brown bread (free account needed)
This homemade sauerkraut could boost your gut health, and go well with the brown bread
Indulge your sweet tooth with a carrot-pineapple cake.
Podcast pick
This week’s podcast pick goes to Olive magazine’s podcast where the focus of the conversation is on author and food writer Ren Behan who’s talking about her latest book The Sweet Polish Kitchen, out now. From baking being so interlinked with nostalgia, to the Polish obsession with cheesecake and more, it makes for a fun, light-hearted and insightful chat.
Find it here on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
And that’s it…
That’s a wrap. Get the coffee on, get the oven on for later, get the flour out on the counter and get stuck in - a day of cooking and baking awaits me today but whatever you’re up to, do it well and enjoy it!
Find more musings on the blog across the week, it’s kenonfood.com - and best of luck to everyone involved in the Leinster regional awards night this coming Wednesday as part of the Irish Restaurant Awards.