France and Ireland links to be celebrated at GMIT and Franco Irish Forum events (1-4 April)

French and Irish students will compete in a cook-off as part of a culinary and heritage showcase at
the Galway International Hotel School (GIHS) in Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) next month (Wednesday, 1 April 2020).  Over sixty experts in Culinary Arts, Hospitality, Tourism, and Heritage will attend the showcase and other events including a conference and a special themed meal which aim to celebrate and develop connections between Ireland, France and francophone countries.

French and Irish business partners and dignitaries from the French Embassy in Ireland and the Irish Embassy in France will also attend the gathering and will be special guests at a meal prepared around the theme of ‘Meitheal’, the Irish tradition where people come together and work at achieving a shared goal.

A conference highlighting successful initiatives, for example, the successful development of the Wild Atlantic Way brand, will run from Thursday, 2 April to Saturday, 4 April. There will also be culinary workshops, including innovative ways of cooking cephalopods (squid, etc.) and research sessions reporting on themes such as the use of literature to promote Ireland as a tourism destination and the creation of a chef’s skills passport to facilitate student placements across the EU.

All events are organised by the Galway International Hotel School, GMIT, with the help of the French Embassy in Ireland. Support is also provided by the National Dairy Council (NDC) and the Centre National Interprofessionnel de l'Economie Laitière (CNIEL) – the French equivalent of the NDC – for the Dairy Chef competition.

Dr Sarah Berthaud, chair of the organising committee, and lecturer in GMIT, says “It is an honour to host the Dairy Chef competition and this Franco-Irish Forum for Culinary Arts, Hospitality, and Tourism (FICAHT) event in GMIT’s International Hotel School. There are already well-established Franco-Irish connections in Galway and its surrounding areas. However, these events will ensure that the links are further developed for the benefits of our students, our staff, and our region.”

The events are run as part of the Franco-Irish Forum for Culinary Arts, Hospitality, and Tourism (FICAHT). The FICAHT network counts more than 77 members and 39 partners – mostly education institutions in France and Ireland. It aims to develop internship and apprenticeship mobility and training for students in culinary arts, hospitality management, and tourism.

More information on the events can be found at: https://ficaht2020.weebly.com/

For further details about the Galway International Hotel School, GMIT, see: https://www.gmit.ie/hotel/galway-international-hotel-school

ENDS

Issued by Regina Daly, GMIT Communications & Press Officer
Tel. 00 353 (0)91 742826 (office) / 0879618355 (mobile)
regina.daly@gmit.ie  www.gmit.ie/news 

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