Hospitality industry joins local food promotion drive

11/02/2008 09:12:50

People involved in pub and restaurant work in Northern Ireland are set to take part in a new initiative designed to make the public more aware about where the meat on their plate comes from, it has been announced.

According to the Belfast Telegraph, pub chain Botanic Inns is one of the firms which has signed up for the new awareness drive, which is being organised by the Department of Agriculture, the Livestock and Meat Commission and the Northern Ireland Hotel and Catering Federation.

The scheme, which is currently voluntary, aims to ensure that people know where the meat they are eating comes from, with diners given details of the provenance of each meat dish on the menu.

Michelle Gildernew, the agriculture minister, said: "We must ensure that meat can be traced right back to the farm gate. This is to encourage people to ask for and seek out local beef."

Officials in Northern Ireland have been planning to increase the profile of local food for some years, with encouraging food-service outlets to "celebrate the cultural heritage of local food" forming a key part of its strategy.

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