‘PLACE ON A PLATE’ Using Local Food to Promote your Business

Unique and Distinctive

Consumer Focused

Local and Regional

Quality and Value Assured

Profitability and Sustainability + + +

Promoting locally

produced Irish

food which is

reflective of our

image as a

natural, unspoilt

destination

Understanding

visitor

expectations and

placing those

needs at the heart

of all

developments

Providing

for a broad

spectrum

of ‘food

experiences’

which provide

access to local/

regional foods

Communicating

and delivering

upon quality and

value promises

Supporting

initiatives which

help to deliver

long term growth

and sustainability

Four ingredients of ‘Place on a Plate’

What is ‘Place on a Plate’? Who is ‘Place on the Plate’ for? What’s in it for me?

The purpose of ‘Place on a Plate’ is to encourage you to adopt an ethos of offering fresh, locally sourced, seasonal food on your menu and just as importantly, make sure you are telling your customers about it!

The reason is simple: research has shown that in recent years experiencing local foods and beverages, which express the identity of a destination through food culture and heritage, has become a sought after travel experience for both domestic and international visitors.

Taking the first step is also simple – you can start with just one dish…

This ethos can be embraced by any business serving food;

• Café

• Pub

• Hotel

• Restaurant

• Bistro

It doesn’t matter – just start with one dish…

A lot of food providers are using local food already. Use our top tips and business supports to make sure you are capitalising on all the great things you are doing.

Embracing the ethos of ‘Place on a Plate’ is an opportunity for your business to benefit from the growing trend of consumers looking for, and willing to spend more, on locally sourced dishes whilst on holidays. So it could;

• Increase visitor spend

• Attract more customers

• Increase satisfaction

• Create a platform for producers and providers to work together

• Raise the profile of your locality

• Bring increased business to your area

• Benefit the local economy.

How can I make it work for me? How can Fáilte Ireland help?

We have a wide range of business supports and workshops which have been tailored to help you implement ‘Place on a Plate’.

These include:

• Up-skilling your chefs in the latest culinary trends

• Up-skilling your front of house staff

• Using your menu to drive food sales

• Creating value from a consumer perspective

• Profitable kitchen management

• Enhancing your web marketing and use of social media

Have a look at the four ingredients of ‘Place on a Plate’ and think about this in the context of your business:

• Are you making the most of the locally produced food available in your area? Do you know what is available?

• Do you really understand what your customer wants? Would they like to see more local food available?

• What can a visitor get to eat in your business that they can’t taste in the rest of the country?

• Do you consistently offer quality and value? Have you asked your customers what they think?

• Find out about the local food traditions and specialties in your area.• Don’t assume that local food is more expensive. Get to know your local food

producers. Know what they offer and when it is available. • Start with just one dish on your menu made from locally sourced produce.• Make sure your front of house staff know the recipes and source of the food

you serve. They should also be aware of the food history and traditions of

the region.

• Encourage your staff to suggest dishes made with local food to your customers.

• Look critically at your menu – are you telling your customers about homemade items on your menu or any regional specialty produce, traditional recipes used?

• List the names of local suppliers that you use or, even better, incorporate them into the names and menu descriptions in dishes or identify them on a

map of your area.• Bring your staff to meet your local producers so that they can get a feel for

the produce.

• Get involved with local food initiatives. • Sign up for Bord Bia’s Just Ask! campaign and get recognition for your efforts.

How can I get started?

Top Tips

‘Place on a Plate’ helps you think differently about the food you offer. We have business supports to help but some things you can do to get you started include;

Why is food important for your tourism business?

To s tart…Ire land is we l l known internat iona l ly for the qua l i t y or our ingredients…

more so than our cu is ine .

C lose to €2 bi l l ion is spent by v is i tors on food and dr ink whi le ho l iday ing in Ire land. In fact, €2 ou t of e ver y €5 they spend is on food and dr ink .

Main ly because…Of fer ing qua l i t y, se asonal , f re sh, loca l food, t radi t iona l re c ipe s

or regiona l spec ia l i t ie s cre ate s opport uni t ie s for your bus ine ss to gain ne w v is i tors and make s your of fer ing more unique .

Bord Bia has found that more than four in f i ve diners be l ie ve i t ’s important that re s taurants use loca l produce .

By engaging wi th loca l producers, you wi l l support the loca l e conomy and promote your loca l i t y, her i tage and cu l t ure to v is i tors .

To f in ish…Consumers remain ver y focused on bo th the va lue and the

qua l i t y of the i r food e xper ience .

For futher information please contact:

foodtourism@failteireland.ie

FI/1

1784

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On a scale of 1 - 4 (4 being high), rate yourself on the following statements:

no/never a little a lot yes/constantlyAdd up the numbers you circled to give your score

1. I know about the local food traditions and specialities in my region?

1 2 3 4SCORE:

2. I know my local suppliers? 1 2 3 4

3. I use local / regionally sourced producers? 1 2 3 4

4. I have dishes on the menu made from locally and regionally sourced produce?

1 2 3 4

5. My front of house staff have knowledge of the source of produce, provenance of dish, history of food traditions in the region?

1 2 3 4

6. My staff tell customers about our homemade items or any regional food specialities and traditional recipes used?

1 2 3 4

7. I identify local/ regionally sourced food and food producers on menus?

1 2 3 4

8. My food offering provides visitors with a sense of uniqueness to the locality?

1 2 3 4

9. I bring staff to meet our local producers so that they can get a feel for their produce?

1 2 3 4

10. I believe that local and regional food can be a unique and distinctive selling point? 1 2 3 4

How well does your business give visitors a ‘taste’ of the region? Rate your business…

0 - 20 Your business currently reflects very little of the ‘Place on a Plate’ ethos. By engaging with some of Fáilte Ireland’s supports, and using the top tips you could greatly improve your customer experience.

21 - 34 Your business does reflect elements of the ‘Place on a Plate’ ethos, but there is more you can do to actively promote it. Look at our top tips, identify the gaps and with the help of Fáilte Ireland’s supports you can easily improve your food potential.

35 + Well done, your business already strongly reflects the ‘Place on aPlate’ ethos. Keep up the good work and let us know about the interesting things you are doing that sets you out from the crowd, to maximise your marketing and publicity opportunities.