Ryder Cup food suppliers well above par . . . on the menu
The companies scooped a marketing bonanza by securing the right to supply everything from golf-ball shaped butter balls to live lobsters for the golf tournament.
They will collectively earn millions as official Irish-sourced suppliers for the prestigious event.
And the association with the Ryder Cup has already led to their products being placed on the menu at high profile events such as Wimbledon and the British Open Golf Championship. But as the much-anticipated date draws near, suppliers are now dealing with the logistics of feeding an army of more than 60,000 people a day - almost six times the size of the Defence Forces and more than the entire population of Limerick city - for the week-long event sponsored by Bord Bia.
More than 40, mostly local and specialist food distributors, are acting sub-contractors for international catering giants Compass and Sodexho which have been contracted by Bord Bia to feed punters, corporate guests and players at the event.
Along with feeding approximately 50,000 spectators, 8,500 corporate guests and 1,000 journalists from around the world per day, they will also cater for a special gala dinner at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin, a players' dinner, a special commentators' dinner and a State reception at Dublin castle.
During the three days of actual competition between September 22 and 24, guests and spectators alike will sample a full range of traditional Irish fare.
Breakfast for the three days will include more than 300kgs of Clonakilty black pudding, 18,000 croissants as well as 10 pallets brimming with Danish pastries, rolls, and baguettes from Dublin-based Cuisine de France.
Each day, Finglas-based Freshway Foods will provide 50,000 assorted sandwiches and 5,000 lunch packs over five days, while Musgraves will cook up 12,000 beef burgers a day.
Cobh-based Hederman's Belvelly Smokehouse will deliver 1,500 smoked mackerel fillets, half a tonne of smoked salmon and 100kgs of smoked mussels for the event, while Silver Hill Duckling of Emyvale, Co Monaghan will supply 6,500 portions of duck.
Wrights of Howth fishmongers will also supply approximately 2,000 live lobsters, 7,000 portions of fresh cod, 10,000 portions of fresh salmon, 200kgs of Dublin Bay prawns, 200kgs of fresh crab and about 200 portions each of fresh turbot, halibut and Dover sole.
Curley's Quality Foods from Co Galway will prepare 42,000 button mushrooms, 42,000 cooked potatoes and 21,000 or three cases of rocket salad.
The Pie Company in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan will supply 15,000 assorted miniature pies while Ina's Kitchen Desserts from Walkinstown, Dublin, will bake about 700 apple crumbles, 3,168 treacle tarts, 7,200 plum and almond tarts and 7,200 lemon tarts as well as 7,000 slices of Bailey's cheesecake.
Also on the dessert menu is approximately 700 cheeseboards from Sheridan's Cheesemongers, comprised of speciality Irish cheeses including 3,000 mini Camembert-like Cooleeny cheese from Co Tipperary, 600kgs of Cashel Blue, Dubliner and Knockanore cheese as well as 100kgs of air cured lamb, beef and pork, and 140kgs of apple chutney.
And if they have any room left, corporate guests will also be treated to more than 40,000 twin boxes of chocolates with a special gold Ryder Cup logo from Lily O'Brien's Chocolates of Co Kildare.
Bord Bia has also created a special signature dish in honour of the occasion which will be unveiled closer to the date and will be permanently on the menu at the K-Club in Co Kildare. Both Bord Bia and the suppliers say the event has been a godsend with their names and products to be viewed by a worldwide television audience and sampled by international visitors.
Frank Hederman of Hederman's Belvelly Smokehouse said the Ryder Cup association has already led to his products being seen as literally fit for a queen.
"When Bord Bia stepped in, it was a very good opportunity for Irish suppliers to get in with the big guys.
"Since then, we did the Queen Elizabeth's 80th birthday in April," he added.
- Allison Bray
