Slow Food recognition for Northern Irish food pioneer

Northern Irish artisan food producer Hendrik Dennemeyer has been named among seven 'Future Food Leaders' by the international Slow Food Network.

Mr Dennemeyer, who is based in Belfast, is the only person from the UK and Ireland listed by the Slow Food organisation among its 'Young Change Makers'.

Listed as a food and horticulture consultant, Mr Dennemeyer is praised for his work in pioneering sustainability within a network of young leaders and start up entrepreneurs "emerging at the grassroots level, harbouring ideas and massive potential" to make a difference to the food industry, contributing to the emergence of "a good, clean and fair food system".

Slow Food listed him among "inspiring people that operate at the grassroots level around the world; those who are undertaking actions and organising activities to create awareness and make (small) changes within the food system".

"As a food and horticulture consultant he knows all about sharing food experiences. He works for several therapy projects where he is giving cookery classes and teaches people how to grow their own organic produce."

A native of Luxembourg with American roots, Mr Dennemeyer is now resident in south Belfast and is involved in developing artisan products especially honey and bread. He has taken part in Slow Food Terra Madre events in Turin.

"As a teacher Hendrik knows learning new skills is key in changing the future of our food system. But proposing better alternatives should not only be done in schools and community groups but also among the wider public.

"As a beekeeper, Hendrik is also very concerned about the future of honeybees and pollinators, therefore he promotes and practices sustainable forms of agriculture," Slow Food adds.

Hendrik says: "We live in a world where 800 million suffer from malnutrition, two billion are overweight and a third of all food is wasted. The most powerful tools to address these problems are education and information.

"The more we get together and talk about issues of access to food on the global and local scale, the less inequalities we'll have."

Hendrik raises bees for honey, grows his own fruit and vegetables, raises chickens for eggs, makes jams and preserves and bakes sourdough bread. In addition, he teaches culinary skills and creates gardens for others sharing his commitment to the environment and sustainability.

Hendrik graduated in social anthropology at Queen's University Belfast and then decided to set up his own business in horticulture and food. "I've always had a passion for food," he says. "It seemed sensible then for me to do something food related."

He launched The Cool Kitchen on YouTube as a channel to share his love of sourdough bread in particular with others. "I wanted to spread the message about sourdough and so I decided to start providing bakery classes by social media. YouTube is a great way to show how best to bake sourdough and other baked goods. I also use it to create recipes that viewers can make using more local produce," he adds. The Cool Kitchen site now reaches over 8,000 regular subscribers.