Food Matters – Détails, épisodes et analyse

David Currid grows almost 50,000 tomato plants every year at Grantstown Nurseries — the family business his parents started after moving from Dundalk to Waterford in the late 1970s. What began as a single glasshouse is now a major supplier to Ireland’s leading retailers.
 

But it’s a tough time to be a commercial grower. With only a handful of Irish tomato producers left, rising costs, cheap imports and tight margins make every season a battle for survival.
 

In this episode of Food Matters, David talks to Mick Kelly of GIY about the realities of running a small food business today, why building trust with retailers matters, where Irish food systems are heading, and the simple love of growing that keeps him going. And yes — they tackle the age-old question: fruit or vegetable?

Aoife Nic Giolla Coda’s love of beekeeping was passed down from her father, Micheál, who founded Galtee Honey Farm in 1970. When her father neared retirement, Aoife returned home to take over Galtee Honey Farm, determined to continue her family’s work protecting Ireland’s native black bee. 

Today, Aoife carries on that family legacy, managing more than 170 colonies of Native Irish Black Honey Bees spread across the Galtee Vee Valley - where the counties of Tipperary, Limerick, and Cork meet.

 In this episode of Food Matters, Aoife joins Mick Kelly of GIY to talk about the bond between bees and the environment, the hidden dangers of imported bees, and how simple choices like buying Irish honey can help sustain biodiversity, pollinators, and rural communities.

Dr Ollie Moore is an expert in the sociology of farming and food, and one of Ireland’s leading experts on food systems and champions of food justice.  As a member of Talamh Beo, Ollie was invited by a farming development and advocacy organisation in Palestine to visit the West Bank and learn about what life is like for food producers in an area that is renowned for endless conflict and highly challenging living and working conditions. 

It was a very eye opening and at times, difficult and emotional trip, and in this episode of Food Matters, Ollie joins Mick Kelly of GIY to share his experience. They talk about the fears he felt before going, the people he met and risky situations he found himself in during his time there, and what he has learned about food security and the resilience of the farmers and Palestinian people along the way.

Mitch McCullough’s journey into the world of heirloom seeds and heritage vegetables is anything but ordinary. A former chef turned grower, Mitch explores the fascinating stories behind the plants we eat. His book, ‘The Seed Hunter: Discover the World's Most Unusual Heirloom Plants’, is more than a gardening guide - it’s a deep dive into rare and unusual varieties, culinary traditions, and the importance of preserving seed diversity..
 
 In this episode of Food Matters, Mitch talks to Mick Kelly of GIY about how his journey from chef to grower led him to seed-saving. He discusses the loss of heritage vegetables, the importance of seed diversity, and his global search for rare crops.

We talk a lot about the future of food on this podcast, but what about the past? Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire is on a mission to uncover and celebrate Ireland’s deep-rooted food history. From the earliest evidence of dairy farming over 5,000 years ago to trade networks that shaped our cuisine, he explores how food connects us to our past. 

An award-winning chef, educator, food historian, and broadcaster, Máirtín is also the co-editor of ‘Irish Food History: A Companion’, a book that traces Ireland’s food journey from early hunter-gatherers right up to modern Irish cuisine.

In this episode of Food Matters, Máirtín talks to Mick Kelly of GIY about some of Ireland’s most fascinating food traditions, the influence of figures like Myrtle Allen, the resurgence of food storytelling, and the challenges facing Irish vegetable growers today.

Colman Power’s mission is a simple one – to help people become happier and healthier through good food, regular movement, and spending time in nature. Having studied horticulture at third level, Coleman became a skilled organic grower and a personal trainer. He has combined his twin passions into a career as an educator and author, self-publishing the no1 Amazon best-seller, The Power of Organic Fitness. 

In this episode of Food Matters, Coleman talks to Mick Kelly of GIY about how he found his purpose after a difficult start in life, his passion for sharing the knowledge he has accrued about food and fitness, and how he has been inspired by the food producers he has met on his travels across Ireland. 

Kevin Wallace had no farming background at all, yet he has become one of Ireland’s most successful small-scale producers, growing a range of produce including salad greens, summer crops and speciality products for hotels, restaurants and cafés. 

Kevin is passionate about soil health and microbial balance, implementing practices such as the ‘no-dig’ and Korean Natural Farming methods to ensure that he is working in harmony with nature. 

In this episode of Food Matters, Kevin talks to Mick Kelly of GIY about the difficult yet rewarding life of a micro-farmer, the unique philosophy behind New Leaf Urban Farmers, and his tireless efforts to creating a healthier, more sustainable ecosystem. 

When Conor Spacey was working in his first kitchen he was shocked at the amount of perfectly good food being thrown away. He convinced his boss to let him save it, cook it, and use it to feed all of his colleagues. It was a small change that made a big difference to the kitchen’s sustainability and its bottom line. Ever since, Conor has dedicated his career to fighting food waste and creating a fairer food system.

Today, Conor is the Culinary Director of FoodSpace Ireland and a co-founder of the Chef’s Manifesto. In this episode of Food Matters, Conor joins Mick Kelly of GIY to talk about his 35-year career in the food industry and how zero-waste can be achieved in hospitality, schools, at home, and in the supply chain.

When Ciara O hArtghaile returned home to Co Antrim, after a year living in New Zealand, she and her husband had a clear mission: to build a community around love of good food, in their home town of Ballycastle.

They started to bake high quality sourdough bread in the small domestic oven of their rented apartment, just three loaves at a time.  Today, they run the highly successful Ursa Minor Bakehouse cafe, a cookery school, and a professional bakery turning out 300 loaves a day!

In this episode of Food Matters, Ciara joins Mick Kelly of GIY to share the story of building their business, creating a food community around it, and her views on how to make a better food system.

Check out Ciara’s award-winning Substack about food and life on the North Coast – Gorse

Brian McCarthy founded innovative urban farming project Cork Rooftop Farm during the first covid lockdown in March 2020. Situated on a rooftop in Cork city centre, the farm started off as a personal project to grow fruit and vegetables. But Brian started to see the potential for something much bigger and, today,  Cork Rooftop Farm is a thriving business and a poster child for how urban farming can play a major role in addressing food security, sustainability, and community health

In this episode of Food Matters, Brian shares his inspiring journey from a tech career to becoming one of Ireland’s leading urban farmers. In conversation with Mick Kelly of GIY, Brian talks about the challenges and successes of transforming a rooftop into a farm, the importance of urban agriculture, and its potential to shape the future of food.