Stay Tuned: Food Lover's Update

Derry Clarke

The media missed the story, so many of you may be unaware that Derry Clarke and his team at L'Ecrivain, in Dublin, were awarded a star by the Guide Michelin this year. "We're thrilled, and we're thrilled because we didn't change a thing", an exhilarated Mr Clarke told us. This is indeed one of those maverick awards by the man from Michelin; you need to go back to 1990 when Roscoff in Belfast scooped a star, or back to when the Shiro Japanese Restaurant in Ahakista nabbed one, to see Michelin stepping out of their classical groove and awarding a gong to someone who is simply cooking at their prime, and never mind the petits fours. Well done to Derry, Sally-Anne, Martina and all the crew. www.lecrivain.com

ABC - Abigail (Brilliant) Colleran

Remember this name: Abigail Colleran.

Why? Because you are going to be hearing a lot more about Ms Colleran.

Abigail Colleran is from Sligo and is a student at DIT studying for a Culinary Arts Degree. She is a Bailey's Eurotoque Young Chef of the Year and a winner of "Best Commis" at the Marchese Award in 2002. Presently, she works at the splendid Bang restaurant in Dublin, from where she departed recently with chef Lorcan Gribbin to take part in the so-tough-it's-terrifying Bocuse d'Or competition in France.

And guess what?

Abgail Colleran won the prize of Best Commis Chef of the Competition. That's the equivalent of winning the World Cup. The Ryder Cup. The World Series. Beating Kasparov hands down. Running faster than Beef Or Salmon.

Abigail (Brilliant) Colleran. Remember that name: ABC.

Food lover's News

On behalf of all coffee lovers, we wish a long and happy retirement to Richard Martin, the man who brought the peerless Illy coffee to Ireland. Mr Martin's son-in-law, Paddy Sands, will take over getting the red-and-silver tins out to coffee addicts, whilst Mr Martin takes it easy in his drop-dead gorgeous Corbusier-influenced, award-winning house in Blackrock, County Louth

Congratulations to Darina Allen, of the Ballymaloe Cookery School, recently chosen to receive an honorary doctorate from the Universiy of Ulster for her pioneering work in Ireland's food culture

. and congratulations to Barnara Klotzer, of the lovely Rock Cottage in West Cork, the national award winner of the country homes section of the Agri-Tourism Awards, a great West Cork address.