Fresh produce, a commitment to traceability, and forward-thinking talent have piqued the curiosity of the world's top chefs and adventurous food lovers to Ireland's West coast.
How does a destination get onto the radar of the most discerning people in the culinary world? A number of elements need to come together, and this is what seems to be propelling Ireland to the top of the food chain. However, it's not just about clever marketing and the collective culinary nomads' desire for the unexplored. The secret, in Ireland's case, is quite simple: top-notch produce coupled with talent that transforms it, and a scenic location in which to savour it.
When I visited Ireland in April, the first thing I did was to check the weather for the week: dry, partially cloudy with sunny spells. It must have been a case of Irish luck that spring showers would hold off for the duration of my three-day road trip through the Wild Atlantic Way. Starting from Kinsale in County Cork and running to the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal, the Wild Atlantic Way is a 2,500km stretch of road on the west coast of Ireland traversing countless pristine beaches and fields of green.
Beautiful, rugged scenery aside, I came with another agenda: to discover Irish food and the culinary revolution taking hold on the western seaboard. Dotted with small family-run farms and home-grown restaurants that respectfully transform the fruits of the sea and land, the Wild Atlantic Way is a culinary road trip placing an emphasis on sustainability and traceability with an authentically Irish approach.