Laois born chef Darina Allen leads Bord Bia promotion week in India

Laois native and one of Ireland’s best-known culinary figures, Darina Allen, is in India this week with Bord Bia for a collaboration with one of India’s leading hotel groups.

Darina Allen is showcasing quality Irish food and drink to Indian consumers with the Taj Hotel group, one of India’s most recognisable and influential business groups. The event is part of Bord Bia’s global Spirit of Ireland spirits programme which will see Darina Allen work directly with Taj culinary teams to create and deliver an Irish-inspired menu with spirits pairings across three of India’s major cities: Mumbai, New Delhi and Bengaluru.

The collaboration begins in Mumbai, where Darina Allen and chef Gary Masterson will work alongside Taj chefs on every aspect of the menu, from ingredients and preparation to tasting, presentation and service.

The menu explores Irish ingredients, dishes and food traditions, with Darina Allen bringing her long-standing focus on seasonality, provenance, and traditional cooking skills.

Each dinner will feature six Irish spirit pairings of Irish whiskey, cream liqueur and gin, connecting the dishes with a wider story of Irish ingredients, craftsmanship and hospitality.

This is followed by a week-long promotion of participating Irish spirits at each hotel, giving Indian consumers further opportunities to discover Ireland’s drinks offering.

Darina Allen spoke from Mumbai.

“Ireland produces the most wonderful food, and so much is due to the quality of the ingredients themselves, where they originate and how they are produced. I’m really looking forward to showcasing the best of Irish food and spirits, and working with the Taj chefs here in India. It’s exciting to share some of that story with guests in India, while also learning from the incredible food culture and culinary traditions here.”

The programme over Halloween weekend includes showcase dinners, at the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai, then New Delhi and Bengaluru.

At each dinner, Darina Allen introduces guests to the dishes and the stories behind them, speaking about Irish ingredients, provenance and food culture.

The Spirit of Ireland programme is designed to introduce consumers to Irish spirits while building relationships with Taj’s culinary, food and beverage and customer networks.

Marian O'Higgins is the India and Middle East Market Specialist at Bord Bia.

“Irish food and drink has a compelling story to tell in India, particularly when people have an opportunity to experience the quality of the product for themselves. Working with Darina Allen and the Taj culinary teams allows us to bring that story to life through food, ingredients, hospitality and Irish spirits.

“India has emerged as one of the fastest-growing markets for Irish whiskey, achieving an annual growth rate of around 60%. We want these events to be an engaging introduction to Ireland for Indian consumers, while also laying the groundwork for longer-term opportunities for Irish producers.”

Darina was back in Laois this month for the opening of a new gastropub and guesthouse, in her former family pub and shop, pics below.

Scroll down for a full sample menu by Darina Allen with Irish spirit pairings.

Darina Allen Menu

Ballymaloe Breads - Brown yeast bread and white soda bread

Starter

Tomato, Leek and Squash Broth, Parsley pesto, seaweed and dillisk scones. Paired with Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin or Jameson Stout Edition

Second Course

Hot-Smoked FishLabneh, cucumber pickle and scallion oil. Paired with West Cork Maritime Single Malt Virgin Oak or Jameson Irish Whiskey

Vegetarian alternative; Labneh with smoked beetroot, cucumber pickle and scallion oil. Paired with Writers’ Tears Copper Pot Irish Whiskey

Main Course

Ballymaloe Irish Stew, Colcannon, melted greens, organic leaves and edible flowers. Paired with Teeling Single Malt

Vegetarian alternative: Spiced Vegetable Kerry Pie. Paired with Teeling Small Batch Classic or Jameson Irish Whiskey

Dessert

A Selection of Bite-Sized Ballymaloe Desserts; Apple tartlet, Almond tart with raspberries and mint or lemon balm, Aquafaba meringues with fresh berries and softly whipped cream, Lemon posset with crystallised lemon peel, Chocolate mousse with Irish whiskey butterscotch sauce. Paired with West Cork Triple Distilled Bourbon Cask or Jameson Black Barrel

Petit Four

Chocolate Mint Leaves and Shamrock Shortbread. Served with tea and coffee. Paired with Baileys Original Irish Cream