54 chefs from eight countries are on a three day visit to Ireland as part of a promotion campaign for Irish food and drink by food marketing body Bord Bia.
The chefs are members of the Chefs' Irish Beef Club, a forum for leading and Michelin-starred chefs who endorse Irish beef.
Today the chefs, along with 10 food journalists, will visit Origin Green beef farms in Waterford, Westmeath, Kilkenny and Louth, where they will meet with farmers and see Irish beef production close-up.
During the visit they will also get to sample Origin Green verified produce such as farmhouse cheese, meats, seafood, spirits and craft beer with visits to notable producers of those products.
Bord Bia founded the Chefs' Irish Beef Club 20 years ago, and there are currently over 90 members chefs across Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates.
Jim O'Toole, Bord Bia's chief executive, said that Irish beef has carved out a stellar global reputation, recently cementing its status with the granting of protected status from the European Commission for Irish Grass Fed Beef (PGI).
"The establishment of the Chefs' Irish Beef Club 20 years ago has greatly assisted Bord Bia in building a premium image for Irish beef in key export markets thanks to the chefs’ ongoing preference and advocacy for Irish beef," Mr O'Toole said.
"We are pleased to host many of the club members this week while also welcoming new members to this exclusive network," he added.
