Belfast on a plate cookbook launched at City Hall
Twenty Belfast chefs have contributed recipes to a stunning new book called “Belfast on a Plate”. It was launched last night at Belfast City Hall and hosted by Taste of Ulster/Food NI. Described as “a flavour of the city in recipes and stories, the 220-page hardback book was created by food photographer, David Pauley. It was written by Joanna Braniff.
“I had the idea of this book for some time and with 2016 being NI Year of Food, it seemed to be the perfect time to make it happen” says David Pauley
“Back in January this year, we drew up a list of 20 people we would like to feature in the book and my partner Cheryl Johnston and I went to see them all and explained our idea. We had to convince them that we were the right people to do a book that they would want to be associated with and to our delight all twenty agreed.
“We already had our little team in place. Dean Pauley, my son, is a graphic designer based in London and specialises in book design. Our friend Joanna Braniff, who is a journalist, would write the stories of the chefs and restaurant owners and Cheryl and I would do the photography”.
Each restaurant has ten pages in the book. Chefs supplied three recipes of their choice to showcase their style of cooking. The featured chefs hadn’t seen the finished book before last night’s launch.
“The editorial part of the book is really about the chefs and their culinary journeys and celebrates the talent in our kitchens. All of the photography and interviews with the chefs and restauranteurs took place in the restaurants themselves” says David Pauley.
Chefs and restauranteurs featured include Coppi, Deanes Eipic, Deanes at Queens, General Merchants, Graze, Howard Street, Home, Hadskis, James Street South , Mourne Seafood Bar, Neill’s Hill, OX , Saphyre, Shu , The Barking Dog, The Ginger Bistro, The Merchant Hotel, The Muddlers Club, Tedford’s Kitchen and Zen.
Food writer Joris Minne said “This is the book I wish I had written. I’ve eaten in each one of those mentioned in the book and every review and comment made by author Joanna Branniff is forensically clear.”
“This book is a great reflection of the talented chefs we have here in Belfast” said Sharon Machala from Food NI.
“Everyone involved had one thing in common- creative passion. It is this passion like this which has driven the Year of Food and Drink in Northern Ireland.”
Belfast on a Plate is priced at £25 and will be available to buy from all the featured restaurants, in good bookshops and on Amazon.
