Hello GRATE readers, I’ve been away from the newsletter for a few weeks… I hope you didn’t miss it too much! One week saw me on the slopes in Bulgaria, where I happily swapped trend reports for traditional dishes like Kavarma — slow-cooked chicken or pork simmered with peppers, onions and spices in a clay pot — and Sach, a generous pile of meats and vegetables served sizzling on a hot iron plate straight to the table. Comforting, abundant, deeply satisfying food. Last week, I

Welcome to this week’s edition of GRATE! What a week it’s been for food. From the excitement and celebration of the Michelin Guide Stars announcements, to the energy on the ground at Hospitality Expo , and a wonderfully intimate forum with inspiring Irish producers from the Midlands Flavours Network , it’s been a powerful reminder of just how dynamic our food industry is right now. Across fine dining, foodservice and local production, the same theme keeps emerging: quality,

Welcome to GRATE! We’re already deep into February (how did that happen??), and I've been reflecting and working on understanding what our younger audiences are interested in........ one thing is clear: today’s consumers don’t just eat — they discover. Social platforms like TikTok have accelerated their curiosity, turning ingredients such as yuzu, miso and gochujang from niche finds into everyday pantry staples almost overnight. What once felt exotic is now familiar, expected

Hello GRATE readers. Whilst January is ending and we’re edging towards Spring (even if Storm Chandra this week suggests otherwise), I’m writing this looking out at calm countryside and blue skies. It feels hopeful. And that’s a fitting mood for this week’s theme: high fibre — a trend that’s quietly moved from ‘one to watch’ into a full-blown innovation platform. I first flagged fibre last year as a space to watch, and at Food Matters Live, we spent a lot of time talking about