There was a chill in the air but the sun was out at Sonairte, the National Ecology Centre of Ireland, when the public showed up in numbers for an event that saw the launch of the CASK Seasonal Cookbook and Online Training for food service industry professionals, along with local producers showcasing their wares at a Christmas market.
The food service industry interest came from a multi-national attendee list, which reflects the fact that the food industry employs more non-Irish nationals than any other in Ireland. The event saw a spike of interest on the caskproject.eu website where the digital cookbook was accessed and where attendees earned a CASK certifcate after taking on the free self-directed training course on their mobile phones.
“It was the culmination of a lot of work between the three project partners,” said a CASK spokesperson, “so it was wonderful to see how successful the launch was. The number of people who have accessed the cookbook and the training shows a real interest in bringing a strong climate action ethos to Irish catering kitchens. And with the Irish appetite for dining out, this can have a very real positive impact on our fight against climate change.”
The CASK project has a focus on identifying local ingredients that can be used instead of imports, but, aside from the climate benefits of this practice, a move towards Irish ingredients supports the sustainability of heritage crops, which are in danger of dying out if they are not cultivated.
