FOOD In the belly of the revolution

A resolution to join the revolution


Food and Wine
Redmond Cabot

When I think of revolutions I think of Dublin 1916, Paris 1968, Prague 1989. Yet one is taking place just down the road that is changing, literally, who we are. It is a food revolution.
Because food is the building blocks of our bodies, minds, and lives, it influences who we are, what we look like, how we act, how we laugh, pee and cry… By ensuring those building blocks are more natural, worthy, sustainable and wholesome, we can make a real positive difference – and not just for ourselves.

What is this revolution?
Ireland is changing, and we have more time to care about our food. We think more about where it is coming from and are less inclined to put up with convenience food rather than the real thing. Up the revolution!
Buying locally helps save Irish jobs, and you often save more money overall by buying local and Irish foods. No need to have potatoes from any other country in your pantry. I’m not bashing the Brits or Maltese! If I was in Britain, I would be advocating, ‘Don’t buy Irish, buy British’. Buying domestic produce is a concept rooted in common sense as well as sustainability. Without wanting to sound like a preaching twat, by eating better food we give ourselves a better chance of having better lives. Not a bad bet eh? Better odds than the lottery as wagers go.

Where is it happening?
This revolution is happening right here, in the county. Small producers all around Mayo are growing their own crops and rearing their own livestock; more Mayo restaurants and retail outlets are selling local produce; and down every country lane and road, more people are growing their own.

Sign me up
‘So’, you ask, ‘How do I, little me, take part in this revolution?’ Go to your local food markets and farmers’ markets, find out who your local growers are, ask your local shops can they supply farmers’ boxes of veg every week, ask your local restaurants where they source their produce, take an interest in food production – and stop giving out all the time about the farmers! Learn the basic nutrients behind foods. Get together with other families and have a local cow or sheep killed to share between you. Many do this already, ask around. Have a revolutionary year!