New dining and gourmet food hall for Limerick city

Limerick city centre has a new dining and gourmet food shopping venue with the opening of the Alex Findlater & Co Food & Wine Hall at 1, O’Connell Street. The food hall, which is on the ground floor of the building that houses the George boutique hotel, is a joint venture between the grocery and wine merchants and the Savoy hospitality group.

The 18,000sq ft space has an oyster and seafood bar, a Bollinger jazz and supper club and a “wine theatre” stocked with 300 labels.

Oliver Sutherland, managing director of Findlater & Co, says: "The Findlater name boasts a rich and storied heritage dating back to 1823, when Alexander Findlater established his first whiskey shop in Dublin. This move heralds an exciting new and modern proposition for the brand."

Findlaters and the Savoy group are looking at expanding the offering to other sites and are “actively seeking sites in other Irish cities and in the UK with a view to rolling out the concept to a wider audience”.

Indoors, on a balcony or garden, everyone can grow their own food

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The Food & Wine Hall will employ up to 50 full and part-time staff, bringing the Savoy Group team in Limerick city centre close to 300. The group also operates the five-star Savoy Hotel, the George boutique hotel, Hamptons Bar & Grill and Da Vincenzo Italian restaurant.

Olive oil tasting

Karen Cryan, olive oil sommelier – yes, there is such a thing – is running a tasting morning at the Woollen Mills on Dublin's Ormond Quay on Saturday, April 21st (10am-1pm).

The session will include tutored tastings of extra virgin olive oils from Spain, Italy, Croatia and Greece. Food pairings will be included to demonstrate how different oils perform with a variety of accompaniments.

Places can be booked in advance by emailing cryankaren@yahoo.com, and the cost is €60.

Potato Congress

Ireland has won the bid to host the 2021 World Potato Congress, a triennial event in support of the global potato industry. This year the congress will take place in Cuzco, Peru, in May, with “Biodiversity, food security and business” as its theme.

Ireland's bid to host in 2021 was prepared by the Irish Potato Federation, with support from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Fáilte Ireland and Teagasc. The event is expected to bring 1,000 delegates to Ireland, and revenue is estimated at €1.7 million. It will take place at the RDS in Dublin on May 24th-27th, 2021.

Paul Mockler, head of commercial development at Fáilte Ireland, says: "We have been working with the Irish Potato Federation since 2015 on this conference, which illustrates the hard work and advance pitching necessary to successfully win such events."

Dining for charity

Staff at Luna restaurant in Drury Street, Dublin 2 are giving their time and expertise, and many of their suppliers are donating food and wine, so that the entire €85 ticket cost for its annual charity lunch will go to Pieta House. There will also be a raffle with all proceeds going to the charity.

The lunch takes place on Monday, April 23rd, at 2pm, and a prosecco reception will be followed by a four-course lunch which will include handmade pasta and meats from the restaurant’s charcoal grill. Tickets can be booked on 01-6799009.

Taste of Spring in Sligo

Sligo Food Trail members are joining forces to host a Taste of Spring Feast at the Radisson Blu hotel in the town on Friday, April 20th. The chefs collaborating on the menu are Joe Shannon (Radisson Blu), Marcin Szczodrowski (Eala Bhán Restaurant), Lee Mastin (The Draft House gastro pub), Eithna O'Sullivan (Eithna's By The Sea), Alan Fitzmaurice (The Glasshouse) and Joe McGlynn (Hooked).

Tickets are €85 and can be booked online or by phoning Anthony Gray, chairman of Sligo Food Trail, on 087-9028845.