![\"Tipperary](\"https:\/\/www.jameswhelanbutchers.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Tipperary-Food-Producers-with-Rachel-Allen1.jpg\" "\\"Tipperary")
<\/a>Tipperary is Bridgestone’s Food County of the Year 2011<\/p><\/div>\n
The other reason for my sunny outlook is the predicted food trends for 2012.\u00a0 Now I\u2019ve never been one to follow fashion and have always believed in doing my own thing but this year I\u2019m in agreement with most of the trends and I seem to find myself on the same page as many of the respected food commentators.<\/p>\n
One of my favourite 2012 food predictions is that elimination diets are so last year, if not altogether last century.\u00a0 Finally the world has come around to the idea of portion control being a better approach.\u00a0 Instead of bluntly cutting out fat, protein or carbohydrate, all of which the body need, it is instead reverting to the more sensible and healthy route to wellness of \u2018a little bit of everything but keeping it all in balance.\u2019\u00a0 I love this philosophy and it is the perfect diet for someone who loves good food.<\/p>\n
I could also hardly contain myself when I read of the emerging and sustainable focus on real, locally grown and produced food.\u00a0 Yippee \u2013 finally the gospel that the Tipperary Food Producers Network has been preaching for many years now, is no longer a voice in the wilderness.\u00a0 All over the world people have realised that the food produced in their own environment is probably better, fresher and more nutritious and ultimately better for the local economy in these straitened times.\u00a0 Real food is also seeing a healthy renaissance.\u00a0 \u2018God made\u2019 rather than \u2018man tampered\u2019 is having a revival.\u00a0 Real butter, real sugar, real juice, and \u2018real\u2019 everything is finally taking over from the artificial. I\u2019m ecstatic. Actually when you think about it, the mere fact that we were happy to consider something \u2018artificial\u2019 could be equal or better than the authentic, is disturbing.\u00a0 At last our brains have caught up with our senses and we have seen the light. \u00a0The real food movement brings with it an increased interest in farmers markets and smaller specialist retailers; alleluia!\u00a0 Obviously this is great news for independent butchers, bakers and green grocers.\u00a0 It\u2019s also been discovered that the pre millennium penchant for bigger, busy and impersonal has given way once again to smaller with a more community based spirit.\u00a0 People want to be recognised as a regular customer and engaged in the pleasant banter that goes with such recognition and familiarity.\u00a0 People are also more inclined to talk about food.\u00a0 They are interested in its provenance and in learning from the \u2018experts\u2019 inside the counter where it comes from and what best to do with it.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Tipperary Food Producers<\/p><\/div>\n
The economy is having a huge impact on food trends but it\u2019s not all negative.\u00a0 People are being careful and frugality is fashionable, but it\u2019s driving a return to home cooking.\u00a0 Eating out is once again becoming a treat and we are looking for ways to feed our families by doing more with less.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A recent survey from America saw sales of crock pots, pressure cookers and other old fashioned kitchen gadgets go up unexpectedly.\u00a0 Along with resurgence in such tools and appliances our palates have also gone retro.\u00a0\u00a0 Maybe we are craving a taste of the past; creating an emotional connection to a more secure time.\u00a0 Or maybe we just realised that our parents and grandparents enjoyed good plain food that tasted great and didn\u2019t break the bank!\u00a0 I\u2019m very fortunate as I\u2019m a fan of those homely one pots and traditional recipes that were common for most of us who enjoyed a 1970s childhood.\u00a0 Such a trend is no hardship for me and in my opinion those dishes are to be wholly embraced.\u00a0 With a bit of a modern twist I can\u2019t think of anything nicer that a creamy beef stroganoff, a luscious steak and kidney pie or homemade beef burgers.\u00a0 Talking of retro and simplicity, steak is also making a \u2018Saturday night dish\u2019 comeback.<\/p>\n
Eating out has not gone away but people are looking for value so only the best will survive.\u00a0 For that reason we can expect to see changes in our restaurant menus. \u00a0The exotic will no doubt be replaced by pasta and other inexpensive ingredients as restaurants find ways to keep the prices down while still providing an overall experience.<\/p>\n
Finally on the dessert front the charts are suggesting that the cupcake has had its moment in the sun, but I personally diverge with general opinion on this point.\u00a0 To be honest I could never quite get my head around the \u2018cupcake\u2019 as an Irish concept as I never saw it as anything other than a big bun with an overly fancy icing hat!\u00a0 As far as I\u2019m concerned buns, or their more glamourous Irish sister, the fairy cake, never went out of fashion and I don\u2019t think they ever will.\u00a0 Ditching this new desire for six inches of piped icing on the top might not be such a bad thing, but your basic Irish iced bun with a cuppa, mid morning or afternoon, is hard to beat for sheer, hedonistic pleasure.\u00a0 Leaving the buns (or cupcakes) aside it looks like being a very good year for those of us who love our food.\u00a0 Roll on the rest of 2012 and don\u2019t forget to stop by our website or drop into our store in the Oakville Shopping Centre where we will be delighted to help you with new or retro recipe ideas for great family food.\u00a0 And don\u2019t forget to spread the word that Tipperary is, for the rest of 2012, The Bridgestone Guides Megabytes Food County of the Year!\u00a0 Hooray!!!<\/p>\n
We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of \u00a0James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin.\u00a0Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I have a funny feeling this is going to be my kind of year! I love 2012 already even though it is still but a pup.\u00a0 My excitement is twofold; first of all Tipperary is starting the year with an award, and a food award at that!\u00a0 Oh yes, in case you haven\u2019t heard […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[25],"tags":[216,215,48,214,47,80],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n