Comments on: Blog post of the year

By: Omaniblog

Omaniblog — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 19:21:46 +0000

You’re right. It’s a superb piece. Exactly what people interested in their food need from a blog piece. I’ll be voting for it too.
I’ve sent the link on to my brother in Limerick, urging him to do the same for Limerick food. Where can I get such meat in Cork city?

By: JD

JD — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:35:53 +0000

Thumbs up to Ivan for his work. In my job I get to spend a lot of time with food microbiologists (I work for a Laboratory Services company) and they have a huge fear of abattoirs. I would have to say I’ve seen more short-cuts taken in the large ‘killing halls’ in animal welfare than you’ll ever see in abattoirs. In fact a butcher from co Wexford with his own abattoir rang me last year wanting to know if I could supply a simple test to check the level of chlorine in the water he was using to flush down carcasses. I was very impressed with his request. It showed the sort of detail he was willing to go to.

By: Conor O'Neill

Conor O'Neill — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:41:03 +0000

On a related note, the scariest thing I heard last week was “Walmart is going to buy Dunnes Stores”.

By: Ivanmcc

Ivanmcc — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:51:18 +0000

Thanks Conor and Tom. I’m very flattered by your kind words. Speaking to these butchers was a very enjoyable assignment, I learned a lot and I’ll definitely be going back to them. It boils down to a simple point – abattoirs don’t pay for themselves anymore like the used to when some of the unwanted parts could be sold. There is also a big commitment on the part of the local authority. The returns from abattoirs are now solely in terms of quality and provenence, so it’s in the hands of shoppers to keep them going by supporting local butchers.

By: Niall Harbison

Niall Harbison — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:45:58 +0000

Totally agreed Connor!

By: Tom A

Tom A — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:34:08 +0000

Couldn’t agree more Conor. Ivan’s doing some great work promoting West Cork’s food culture.