Top European chefs praised the quality of Irish beef during a recent food and farm tour of Co. Cork.

Vincent Villeroy is the head chef at the Embassy of Ireland in France.

He told Agriland that the consistency in the quality of Irish beef is "remarkable".

Villeroy has worked at the embassy for 20 years and previously worked in Connemara, he said.

"My job at the embassy is to promote Irish food, the very high quality - and that job is pretty easy to be honest. Irish food has such a high quality," he said.

He added that Irish beef has great flavour, with Irish beef from breeds such as Hereford having a great reputation in France.

Chefs' Irish Beef Club

Villeroy spoke during a Bord Bia-hosted trip of over 15 French and Belgian chefs to Ireland to learn about the origins of Irish produce, including Hereford beef, dairy, whiskey, and seafood.

They are all members of the Chefs' Irish Beef Club, which is an exclusive international forum bringing together some of the leading chefs from Europe and beyond who collectively endorse Irish beef. 

The club sees award-winning chefs give pride of place to Irish beef by serving it in their restaurants, which are amongst some of the finest dining establishments in Europe and further afield.

The group kicked off its three-day tour of the Rebel County at the beef and sheep farm of Kay O'Sullivan in Mourneabbey, near Mallow.

The group also visited John McCarthy, who is farming on the picturesque Seven Heads Peninsula in west Co. Cork, and supplies milk for Five Farms, the "world's first farm-to-table Irish cream liqueur".

Meeting customer expectations

John Appelbe is an award-winning pedigree cattle breeder based in Carrigroe, near Clonakilty, Co. Cork.

His family has farmed there for over 120 years and has a long-standing tradition of breeding pedigree Hereford cattle.

On the day of the chefs' visit to his farm, conditions were very wet and windy.

Appelbe told Agriland that the chefs were getting to experience "real Irish weather" on the day, and pointed out the positive aspect - that "grass is growing".

He said it has been a challenging year weather-wise along with the knock-on effects from the war in the Middle East.

Appelbe highlighted the importance of delivering high-quality beef for customers, and that Hereford farms are "placed in a good position" to do that.

Appelbe is an Irish Hereford Prime member.

Michael Cleary has worked with Irish Hereford Prime for 22 years.

The brand was formed in 1997, through the establishment of a Hereford beef producer group supported by the Irish Hereford Breed Society, with cattle processed at the ABP factory in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary.

Cleary told Agriland during the chefs' trip that the grass-based system in Ireland is a big advantage.

He said the cattle themselves are "quiet, docile, easy to manage, early maturing - they're just a lovely animal".

He said the meat is also famous for its marbling, which gives flavour.

About the chefs' trip, Cleary added: "We're privileged to be able to bring these chefs on to a Hereford farm, because farming in France is different to farming in Ireland.

One of the members of the visiting group from France was Jean Denaux, who is a fifth-generation butcher and breeder and has been an importer of Irish Hereford Prime beef for nearly 30 years with a strong following among chefs and consumers.

According to Michael Cleary, Denaux has that loyalty to Irish Hereford beef for a number of reasons, including the consistent high-quality of it.

"He has a good connection with the Irish farmers. He sees the Irish farmers' grass-based system works. He has a good connection with ABP," Cleary added.

Denaux told Agriland that he places an order each week and the quality has always been consistent, and he continues to have a strong, lasting relationship with his suppliers in Ireland.