La Rousse helps Lough Neagh eels win business in Republic
Top hotels and restaurants in the Republic of Ireland are increasingly including Lough Neagh eels on their menus as a result of an agreement with La Rousse Foods in Dublin.
La Rousse, Ireland's leading gourmet food business, is now distributing the eels from Lough Neagh, Europe's largest wild eel fishery, to its high-end foodservice customers in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Lough Neagh Eels, based at Toome in county Antrim, is one of only three Northern Ireland products to have achieved EU protected geographical indication (PGI) status, the first food from Northern Ireland to achieve this status. The company is providing fresh and frozen eels to La Rousse for its gourmet clients.
Clifford Webb, a La Rousse Food Manager, says: "We are delighted to be working with Lough Neagh, a unique Irish product, in the development of business particularly in the Republic of Ireland.
"Eel is a comparatively new product in the Republic, and what we've been doing is to create awareness there of this exceptional and versatile product among leading chefs. This has involved working closely with chefs and Lough Neagh on the development of creative menus using eels."
"The agreement is also a further demonstration of our strategic focus on food from suppliers, especially artisan enterprises on the island of Ireland," he adds.
Lough Neagh's Cathy Chauhan, commenting on the agreement with La Rousse, adds: "La Rousse is an ideal partner because of its vast experience of working with leading chefs and also because of the company's high end customer base.
"We are learning a great deal from the La Rousse team and its network of chefs about the supply of products that they wish. While we have experience in exporting fresh eels to the Netherlands and Great Britain, growing business in foodservice particularly in the Republic is a new development for us."
La Rousse has specialised in the supply of fine foods to premium food establishments since 1992. Based in Dublin, the company offers a wide range of fresh, seasonal and innovative produce from a network of local and international producers.
Lough Neagh Fishermen's Co-operative has been amongst the fore runners of wild eel producers for decades and is recognised as the largest producer of wild caught eels in Europe, producing around 400 tonnes of eels annually.
It has been with careful management of the fishery through the strict conservation policies, including measures such as quotas, restocking and scientific research, which have helped to secure a viable and sustainable future for the fishermen on Lough Neagh.
La Rousse, Ireland's leading gourmet food business, is now distributing the eels from Lough Neagh, Europe's largest wild eel fishery, to its high-end foodservice customers in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Lough Neagh Eels, based at Toome in county Antrim, is one of only three Northern Ireland products to have achieved EU protected geographical indication (PGI) status, the first food from Northern Ireland to achieve this status. The company is providing fresh and frozen eels to La Rousse for its gourmet clients.
Clifford Webb, a La Rousse Food Manager, says: "We are delighted to be working with Lough Neagh, a unique Irish product, in the development of business particularly in the Republic of Ireland.
"Eel is a comparatively new product in the Republic, and what we've been doing is to create awareness there of this exceptional and versatile product among leading chefs. This has involved working closely with chefs and Lough Neagh on the development of creative menus using eels."
"The agreement is also a further demonstration of our strategic focus on food from suppliers, especially artisan enterprises on the island of Ireland," he adds.
Lough Neagh's Cathy Chauhan, commenting on the agreement with La Rousse, adds: "La Rousse is an ideal partner because of its vast experience of working with leading chefs and also because of the company's high end customer base.
"We are learning a great deal from the La Rousse team and its network of chefs about the supply of products that they wish. While we have experience in exporting fresh eels to the Netherlands and Great Britain, growing business in foodservice particularly in the Republic is a new development for us."
La Rousse has specialised in the supply of fine foods to premium food establishments since 1992. Based in Dublin, the company offers a wide range of fresh, seasonal and innovative produce from a network of local and international producers.
Lough Neagh Fishermen's Co-operative has been amongst the fore runners of wild eel producers for decades and is recognised as the largest producer of wild caught eels in Europe, producing around 400 tonnes of eels annually.
It has been with careful management of the fishery through the strict conservation policies, including measures such as quotas, restocking and scientific research, which have helped to secure a viable and sustainable future for the fishermen on Lough Neagh.