Have you ever wondered how much blood sausage a person can eat in one sitting? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Artie Clifford and Fallon Moore are the founders of Blas na hÉireann, the Irish Food Awards. Blas, which means ‘taste’ in Irish, was born in Dingle in 2007, and has organized an annual celebration of the best in Irish food and drink every year since. With some help from University College Cork, they’ve developed a blind tasting process that’s become the international standard in food competitions. The work of Blas na hÉireann goes well beyond an annual judging competition. They’re champions of local food networks; a networking organization for producers, and a source of invaluable feedback for food startups. They also run a mentorship and educational training program for small businesses.On this week’s episode, we speak with Artie and Fallon about how the food landscape is changing in Ireland; new trends in Irish food & drink; the rebirth of boxty and the renewed interest in traditional foods; and find out whether their judges ever get sick of eating blood sausage.Dyed Green is a project of Bog & Thunder, whose mission is to highlight the best of Irish food and culture, through food tours, events, and media. Find out more at www.bogandthunder.com.

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Is there anything Kwanghi Chan can’t do?! The Dublin-based chef and cookbook author owns two restaurants, a food truck, a retail sauce company, and regularly appears on TV. Born in Hong Kong, Kwanghi moved to Donegal when he was eight and grew up cooking in his uncle’s Chinese takeaway. As an adult, he chose a culinary education over art school and went on to work in a number of Michelin-starred restaurants before going out on his own. Kwanghi’s first book, Wok, came out last year and is the first Irish-Chinese cookbook to be published in Ireland.We’re so excited to have Kwanghi Chan help us to kick off the second season of Dyed Green. On this episode, we speak with Kwanghi about his career trajectory, what Chinese food in Ireland is like, white people cooking Asian food, and the future of the food industry in the face of all of today’s challenges.Dyed Green is a project of Bog & Thunder, whose mission is to highlight the best of Irish food and culture, through food tours, events, and media. Find out more at www.bogandthunder.com.Dyed Green is Powered by Simplecast.

The diversity of Irish whiskey today is in a new league compared to just 20 years ago when a few big brands dominated the market. One of the things that defines a modern Irish whiskey is the story behind it, and few have as compelling a story as Slane Irish Whiskey. Distilled on the grounds of Slane Castle—a site famous in part for hosting huge outdoor rock concerts since the 1980s—the brand uses water from the mythologically important River Boyne and homegrown grain, prioritizes measurable sustainability practices, and weaves the legacy of its rock-n-roll history into their finished products.We are thrilled to be joined this week by Slane Irish Whiskey co-founder and global brand ambassador Alex Conyngham. We speak with Alex about growing up at Slane Castle, his family’s environmental legacy, and what it was like to build a competitive global brand in a competitive spirits marketplace. We also discuss what it means to be truly sustainable in the distilling world, as well as how artisan food and drink producers collaborate to support one another in the Boyne Valley.Dyed Green is a project of Bog & Thunder, whose mission is to highlight the best of Irish food and culture, through food tours, events, and media. Find out more at www.bogandthunder.com.Dyed Green is Powered by Simplecast.

Nestled in the Mourne Mountains, along an old country road that was once a brandy smuggling route, you’ll find Ireland’s smallest distillery. Built in a renovated old cowshed, the Killowen Distillery in County Down was started by architect-turned-distiller Brendan Carty in 2017. Today, he runs the business with just four employees, himself included.This is our first episode profiling an Irish distiller, and we couldn’t be happier to be speaking with Brendan Carty about the magic of Killowen Distillery and his unique vision for the future of craft spirits. Join us as we discuss the history of Irish whiskey, the reinvention of poitín, and how one small but mighty distillery is making its mark in the crowded world of corporate-owned spirits.Dyed Green is a project of Bog & Thunder, whose mission is to highlight the best of Irish food and culture, through food tours, events, and media. Find out more at www.bogandthunder.com.

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It’s an exciting time in the food world in Ireland, so it should come as no surprise that, like restaurant pop-ups and artisanal producers, the landscape is ripe for new approaches to food writing too. Enter Jane Gleeson and Guzzle magazine, a new publication focused on the intersection of art and food, poised to make a splash with its unique perspectives. On this episode of Dyed Green, we speak to Guzzle editor Jane Gleeson about her inspiration for starting the magazine, and how using food and art as a lens to discuss political and cultural issues in Ireland allows for more open, inclusive, and creative conversations. We also talk about childhood food nostalgia; how fruitcake is generally pretty terrible; and how, stereotypes aside, Guinness and potatoes are never not ridiculously delicious.Dyed Green is a project of Bog & Thunder, whose mission is to highlight the best of Irish food and culture, through food tours, events, and media. Find out more at www.bogandthunder.com.

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John and Sally McKenna have been have been documenting the Irish food scene since before it even existed. Setting out in the 90s to explore the world of Irish artisan producers, they began publishing their perennially popular and highly respected McKenna’s Guides back when the Irish food scene consisted of a few cheesemakers spread out in the country, and no notable restaurants to speak of all. The McKennas have stayed on the case as Ireland’s chefs and artisans have gained confidence and become more highly regarded internationally. Throughout a changing culinary landscape, they’ve stayed true to their own values and love of food as something that should bring people together as opposed to a status symbol. We sat down with John and Sally recently to discuss how much Ireland has changed from when they first began documenting Irish food. We discuss Ireland’s producer-led food culture, how delightful creative people who work in food are, the beauty of world-class chefs opening restaurants in their rural hometowns, as well as how operators and artisans can stay positive and adapt amid today’s challenging environment of “staff shortages,” inflation, and more. Dyed Green is a project of Bog & Thunder, whose mission is to highlight the best of Irish food and culture, through food tours, events, and media. Find out more at www.bogandthunder.com.

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Picture this: an organic farm on 250 acres of soft, green, rolling hills on a remote peninsula bordering the Atlantic Ocean—an idyllic location to grow vegetables and raise cows and pigs. At first glance, it seems like the Ferguson family—the multi-generational crew behind Gubbeen Farm outside Schull, West Cork—is living the dream: father Tom is the herdsman; mother Giana, the pioneering cheesemaker; son Fingal the smoked meat producer; and daughter Clovisse the bio-dynamic gardener. 

After taking a closer look, we can confirm that in this case the dream is in fact, reality. With the start of their award-winning cheesemaking in the 1970s, the Fergusons have worked diligently to make cheese-dairy.html">Gubbeen cheese and meat products a household name synonymous with quality, care, and respect for the land in restaurants and homes around Ireland and throughout the world. 

In this week’s episode, we sit down with Fingal Ferguson, the fifth generation of Gubbeen farmers, to talk about life on the farm, the West Cork artisan community, and the beauty of staying small. We also discuss Fingal’s passion for knives and knife making, as well as how to not rest on a legacy, but continue to stay creative and challenge yourself.

Photo courtesy of Fingal Ferguson.

Dyed Green is a project of Bog & Thunder, whose mission is to highlight the best of Irish food and culture, through food tours, events, and media. Find out more at www.bogandthunder.com.

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Our guests this week are Tommy McLarnon and Shannon Smith of the Save the Boyne campaign, which has been organizing local residents and concerned citizens to stop meat processing factory Dawn Meats from dumping wastewater into the Boyne River. The Boyne River is an important historical site and part of Celtic mythology, playing a key role in events like the Battle of the Boyne and stories like the Salmon of Knowledge. The river flows through a fertile valley, past ancient historical sites like the Hill of Tara and Newgrange, and through biodynamic farms where some of the country’s best artisans make cider, whiskey, cheese, and grow vegetables. Despite being an integral part of “Ireland’s Ancient East”, the River Boyne's health is under threat from Dawn Meat's proposed plan to build a pipeline that would discharge 400,000 liters per day of wastewater into the river.We spoke about the importance of protecting rivers as part of the broader struggle for climate justice, and the importance of grassroots organizing for social and environmental change. Learn more about the Save the Boyne campaign and find out how you can get involved at www.savetheboyne.org.Photo courtesy of Jim Fitzpatrick.HRN is home to transformative exchanges about food. Our 35+ member-supported food podcasts empower eaters to cultivate a radically better world. This month, we’re asking you to join us. Become a monthly sustaining member at heritageradionetwork.org/donate.

Dyed Green is a project of Bog & Thunder, whose mission is to highlight the best of Irish food and culture, through food tours, events, and media. Find out more at www.bogandthunder.com.

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As the Great Resignation and the repercussions from the pandemic continue to accelerate changes already underway in the hospitality industry, more and more chefs are looking for ways to stay creatively involved in food outside of traditional restaurant kitchens. Keith Coleman is one such chef whose career has taken some unexpected turns. After working at Fumbally Cafe, he was the head chef at the beloved and short-lived Fia in Rathgar. More recently he started a pop-up, Roots, with his partner Aisling McHugh, and oversaw the food and beverage program at Slane Castle, both experiences which led him to reflect on what he truly values about cooking and his own place within hospitality. Today, Keith is a private chef at Bellamont House in County Cavan, where he’s working with the owners to create a sustainable food program on the estate.

Keith's story touches on some of the most important topics in hospitality today. We spoke about the pressures of being a chef and the challenges of creating healthy, non-toxic workplaces, the value of close relationships with organic farmers, and the growing #BeigeFood Movement (simple, honest, delicious food that Keith posts about on his IG (@keithjamescoleman). Join us on a journey into the ever-evolving landscape of Ireland's food scene through the eyes of Keith Coleman. 

HRN is home to transformative exchanges about food. Our 35+ member-supported food podcasts empower eaters to cultivate a radically better world. This month, we’re asking you to join us. Become a monthly sustaining member at heritageradionetwork.org/donate.

Dyed Green is a project of Bog & Thunder, whose mission is to highlight the best of Irish food and culture, through food tours, events, and media. Find out more at www.bogandthunder.com.

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The Irish poet and philosopher John O’Donohue described being born in the Burren, with its surreal, limestone landscape as a “huge, wild invitation to extend your imagination.” Located in County Clare, on Ireland’s west coast, not only is the Burren is one of the country’s most biodiverse regions—seventy percent of Irish native flora can be found there—it has been grazed for 6,000 years. Today, the Burren is celebrated for its High Nature Value farming, a forward-thinking sustainable management practice which allow farmers to make a living while fostering the delicate ecological balance the area requires.On this episode, we speak with Brendan Dunford of the Burrenbeo Trust about the role of farmers in protecting landscapes and improving environmental health, the benefits of results-based payment systems, and how appealing to a farmer’s pocket, head, and heart is the best way to encourage them to farm for nature and the climate. Tune in for an upbeat, inspirational conversation featuring a true climate visionary.HRN is home to transformative exchanges about food. Our 35+ member-supported food podcasts empower eaters to cultivate a radically better world. This month, we’re asking you to join us. Become a monthly sustaining member at heritageradionetwork.org/donate.Dyed Green is a project of Bog & Thunder, whose mission is to highlight the best of Irish food and culture, through food tours, events, and media. Find out more at www.bogandthunder.com.

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