Galway restaurant, Oscar’s Seafood Bistro, has been awarded Bord Bia’s Just Ask! restaurant of the month for February. The restaurant, which was set up by husband and wife Michael O’Meara and Sinead Hughes in 2000. The Just Ask award recognises the restaurant for its dedication to sourcing food from local suppliers and ensuring this information is passed on to customers on their menu.
Oscars Seafood Bistro menu is brimming with dishes containing the best of local ingredients, ranging from starters such as Clare Island salmon tartare; crispy potato skins ‘Oscar’s style’ using Collerans of Galway bacon and Killeen Cheese made near Portumna in Galway – to mains like roast chump of Connemara lamb; free range Irish chicken stuffed with local goats cheese, Mc Geough’s air dried ham and fresh fish sourced from Gannet Fish Mongers.
Just Ask! is a Bord Bia campaign which aims to encourage consumers to look for information on where their food is coming from when eating out and encourages chef’s to provide the information on their menus. According to recent research from Bord Bia, 81 per cent of Irish diners believe it’s important that restaurants use local produce with 72 per cent deeming it important that the origin of meat is listed on the menu.
Michael O’Meara, head chef and proprietor of Oscar’s Seafood Bistro was thrilled to be recognised for his commitment to local producers and said, “Since opening in 2000, we have always aimed to source everything locally and support outstanding local products including Killeen Cheese, made near Portumna in County Galway and the multi award winning Clare Island Organic Salmon. I also regularly visit the Moycullen and Galway farmers’ markets to take advantage of the best possible seasonal ingredients and Gannet Fish Mongers who are involved with all the Galway markets as well as being completely dedicated to local fishermen. We hold full records on all our meat sourcing - the free range chicken can originate from different farms in order to obtain a consistent supply but they will always be Irish.’
To get involved in Just Ask! or to find out more, see www.bordbia.ie
