REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE FOOD FROM IRELAND MASTER CLASS COLLEGE FOR TOURISM AND CATERING
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE FOOD FROM IRELAND MASTER CLASS COLLEGE FOR TOURISM AND CATERING, MADRID
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to join you here today, and to officially launch the Food from Ireland Master Class at the renowned College for Tourism and Catering, Madrid. I would like to thank the Madrid Minister for Education Lucía Figar for her kind words of welcome. Close, warm links between Ireland and Spain can be traced back for centuries. Today, we are bringing two food cultures together and, I hope, forging enduring relationships that will bear fruit and food far into the future.
I was delighted to learn that a quote by a great Irish writer, George Bernard Shaw, adorns the wall of this school: ‘happy is the man who can make a living by his hobby’. When Bernard Shaw also said ‘there is no sincerer love than the love of food’, I can’t help thinking he must have had Spanish cuisine in mind! Food and drink are the lifeblood of every culture but, in Spain, they are approached with a distinctive reverence and passion. As the next generation of chefs, you are the carriers of a great tradition and I have no doubt that the wonderful and diverse gastronomy of Spain is in safe hands. A food culture, like any culture, becomes truly great when it is open and evolving, sharing what is good in yours with others and incorporating the achievements of others in yours.
Many of you will already be familiar with Irish food and drink products like our world famous beverages, our grass-fed beef, and our Atlantic seafood. You choose Irish food and Irish ingredients because you can be certain of our commitment to excellence. Food is grown and produced in Ireland with the same passion that you bring to its preparation in Spain.
So, what distinguishes Ireland as a food producer? It begins with our mild climate and our rich, unspoilt landscape. Built on this are modern farming practices, informed by centuries-old traditions, and a deep, abiding respect for the environment. Our investment in research, animal traceability and marketing makes us uniquely placed to provide quality food products. Food and drink is, in fact, Ireland’s most important indigenous industry, one of our greatest sustainable resources and one of our fastest growing export areas. A new generation of talented young people in Ireland is being attracted into farming and food production, people who value excellence as you do and who share your ambition, your values and your sense of purpose.
Irish food and drink products are already sold in 170 countries around the world, and, not surprisingly, Spain features highly among them. In fact, you are our seventh most important market - our second for seafood, and our third most important for beef and livestock. In all, Irish companies exported €210 million worth of food and drink to Spain in 2010 – up 13% from 2009. In what was a difficult year for the global economy, this was a real achievement. Of course, the best relationships are those that bring reciprocal benefit and it is therefore good to know that Spanish food and drink exports to Ireland in 2009 were worth more than €100 million.
Both our cultures regard sharing a meal together as an important manifestation of friendship and human solidarity. Today, in the hands of the internationally renowned chef Mario Sandoval, we will see our friendly culinary relationships renewed and revitalised as the finest of Irish ingredients meet with Spanish culinary magic. A former student of this catering school, Mario is an outstanding exponent of modern Spanish cuisine and has first-hand experience of Irish beef, seafood, cheeses and beverages. He recently visited Ireland in preparation for the Food from Ireland Master Class and I have no doubt he has many exciting discoveries to share as a result of this trip.
Today’s Food from Ireland Master Class is an important stepping stone in building strong relationships between Spanish kitchens and Irish farms. In what we hope will become an annual event, Master Classes will be held in catering schools across Spain. I firmly believe that these will lead over time to increased partnerships and business relationships between Ireland and Spain in the food sector. Thank you for your interest in Irish food - I hope you have a most enjoyable day learning about the many possibilities Ireland can offer the Spanish chef and I look forward to our close bonds in the economic, cultural and political fields being replicated in the kitchen and at the table as well!