Taste The Atlantic Young Chef Ambassador Programme-More

HOW THE CHEFS WERE NOMNIATED FOR THE PROGRAMME

Taste the Atlantic Young Chef Ambassador Programme returns for 2022
Open for nominations now, until May 24th

 

Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Irelands Seafood Development Agency & Chef Network are seeking five ambitious young chefs, aged 18-24, who are passionate about Irish seafood to take part in an exciting journey of learning and exploration along the Wild Atlantic Way.

Through the programme, spread over a four-month period, the five selected chefs will benefit from on-site learning with Taste the Atlantic seafood producers and training in social media, business, culinary and fish handling skills with experienced industry mentors. Each chef will be teamed up with a Taste the Atlantic producer to learn in-depth about their process and collaborate to create recipes with their product. At the end of the programme, the five chefs will work together to create a Taste the Atlantic menu, showcasing the skill and knowledge they have gained on their journey as Taste the Atlantic ambassadors and highlighting the culinary and food tourism potential of seafood on the Wild Atlantic Way.  

 

NOMINATE A YOUNG CHEF TO TAKE PART


ABOUT THE PROGRAMME

Taste the Atlantic – a Seafood Journey is a collaborative initiative between BIM, Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency, and Fáilte Ireland. A food tourism trail promoting the fantastic seafood producers and their products along the Wild Atlantic Way, from wind swept Malin Head in Co. Donegal to beautiful Kinsale in Co. Cork, passing some of Ireland’s most breath-taking seascapes and landmarks.

The Taste the Atlantic Young Chef programme brings together the producers in the Taste the Atlantic network with young chefs who can bring their culinary creativity and enthusiasm to showcase their produce at its best.

Chef Network is committed to the professional development of chefs and to bringing chefs together with our food producers to support them and ensure we bring the best quality produce to the plate. The programme combines these aims with BIM’s mission to promote sustainable Irish aquaculture and fishing, and Failte Ireland’s development of food tourism potential along with Wild Atlantic Way.

WHY TAKE PART

Over the period of the programme, from mid-June to late September the young chefs will

Benefit from Mentoring & Learning on:

  • Seafood production and aquaculture along the Wild Atlantic Way: spending time on-site with the seafood producers discovering the entire production process;
  • Fish skills: a hands-on workshop with master fishmonger Hal Dawson learning in-depth skills on fish species, quality, handling and storage, filleting and prep;
  • Seafood Cookery: two days of culinary mentoring with Chef JP McMahon at Michelin-starred Aniar restaurant in Galway;
  • Business Skills: a workshop on food and recipe costing and recipe/menu design
  • Social Media Training: social media training with Food PR to support you to share your Taste the Atlantic journey.

 All of this will take place through:

  • three 2-day Wild Atlantic Way excursions which will incorporate producer visits and culinary/fish training workshops,
  • online training workshops for social media and business skills
  • and full days on-site with the producer you are paired with for the programme.

 In addition, you will have the chance to build your professional network and profile, work with high profile industry mentors, and work as part of a team with other young chefs. At the culmination of the programme in September, you will work together to create Taste the Atlantic Menu under the supervision of chef JP McMahon.

WHO CAN TAKE PART?

Chefs aged 18-24 currently working in a professional capacity as a chef or studying/training to become a chef, nominated by an industry or education mentor

This is a chance for a group of young chefs to build their professional network, learn a broad range of skills, from digital to culinary, gain new knowledge working with a master fishmonger and artisan food producers, showcase their culinary creativity, and build their own profile, as they go on the Taste the Atlantic Seafood Journey

While we will be looking for some culinary experience and knowledge, the emphasis will be on finding Young Chef Ambassadors who are passionate about Irish seafood, and its culinary and tourism potential, who are enthusiastic, ambitious and eager to learn, and who can communicate effectively.

NOMINATE A YOUNG CHEF

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF YOU?

Through this programme our aim is for the participating chefs to become champions of seafood and food tourism along the Wild Atlantic Way and to use the knowledge you gain and your culinary skills and creativity to inspire, educate and inform other chefs and a wider audience. 

You will be expected to do this by:

  • Actively and regularly using your social media platforms to document your journey in the programme and to support and promote the Taste the Atlantic producers you are working with.
  • Create and take part in creating content (imagery, videos, webinars, written) to inspire and pass on their learning to other chefs and seafood producers
  • Collaborating with the producers to create recipes/dishes with their product (which they can feature on their website, promotions etc) and advise/inspire them around culinary uses of their product, accompaniments, flavours etc
  • Working collaboratively with the other ambassadors to create and prepare a Taste the Atlantic menu
  • Being open to taking part in other events/activities/opportunities that may arise during the programme (subject to your availability).

 

Please see further details below regarding criteria and commitment.

 

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Candidates must be nominated by an industry or education mentor.

This could be your employer/head chef or another senior chef you have worked with, or a college lecturer/head of department.

CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE A YOUNG CHEF

FINAL DEADLINE

The final deadline for nominations is Tuesday 24 May

You are encouraged to send in your nominations as early as possible.

will be processed and moved to stage 2 as they are received.

Nominating is a very quick and simple process, via a short online form.

 

SELECTION PROCESS

  1. Candidate Submissions – following receipt of a nomination, candidates will be emailed a submission form. This must be completed in order to progress further in the selection process. The latest deadline for submissions is 24th May, but candidates are encouraged to submit as early as possible, applications will be processed as they are received.
  2. Interviews – based on written submissions, candidates will be shortlisted for interview by a panel via zoom. You must be available to take part in an online interview on Wed 8 June.
  3. Selection – following interviews, five ambassadors will be selected to take part in the programme. You must be available to take part in programme activities starting on Tues 14 June.

CRITERIA & COMMITMENT

*Important information for candidates and nominators*

  • Candidates must be professional/trainee chefs aged 18-24 years resident in the Republic of Ireland.
  • Candidates should have some social media presence and be willing to use their social media platforms to record the activity of the programme and promote what they learn throughout the programme.
  • Candidates must be prepared to commit a minimum of 10 days over 4 months (June to September 2021) towards active programme days (and additional time for social media activity, recipe creation etc)

Please be conscious that if you are working in industry, this may require giving up some of your days off to travel and participate in the programme. However, you will benefit from significant learning and training opportunities.

  • You will need to be willing and able to take part in activities which may include boarding boats, visiting shorelines, participating in physical tasks on aquaculture farms and facilities.
  • Candidates must be wiling to commit to and fully participate in the activities of the programme as outlined.
  • Participation will include travel to areas that are not easily accessed by public transport. Candidates must be able to travel to meeting point locations in the West of Ireland.

Selected ambassadors will have travel and meal costs covered on mentoring and learning days either through:

  • Accommodation and meals being arranged for you
  • Or, where these are not provided, via payment of standard civil service travel and subsistence rate.

Taste the Atlantic is a joint initiative of Fáilte Ireland and BIM

This is proudly supported by