German chefs are fans of Irish food
Ireland is renowned globally for the quality, sustainability and innovation used in our food produce. Irish food and beverages are very popular in Germany, with dairy products, beef, lamb, and whiskey among others visible on supermarket shelves throughout the country.
Germany is Ireland's fifth largest export market for agri-food products, valued at €920 million. The value of Irish agri-food exports to Germany almost doubled in value between 2012 and 2022.
It is no surprise then that gourmet chefs across Germany are drawn to high quality Irish products for their restaurants.
This year, two German chefs, Mike Süsser and Philipp Vogel, were inducted into the exclusive international Chefs’ Irish Beef Club, an initiative of Bord Bia - the Irish Food Board.
The Chefs’ Irish Beef Club, established in 2004, is an association of award-winning chefs, all of whom proudly use Irish products such as beef and duck in their restaurants.
Images: Bord Bia
The Club has over 90 award-winning member chefs spread across Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and further afield. Members learn about how Irish beef and other meat is raised and cared for by farmers. On their visits to Ireland, they develop a deeper understanding of the importance of sustainable production that characterises Irish agriculture.
Philipp Vogel, Manager Director and Chef at Orania.Berlin, is passionate about using Irish products in his restaurant. Vogel has visited Ireland as part of the Chefs’ Irish Beef Club and seen first-hand where the beef, duck and oysters he uses in his restaurant come from. He is particularly impressed by the variety of high-quality products from Ireland and praised the clarity and transparency in the production lines.
Vogel chooses Irish beef for its classic, savoury and flavourful taste, which he links back to the green fields that Irish Grass Fed Beef cows graze on.
85% of guests at Vogel’s Orania.Berlin visit the restaurant to try the chef’s signature ‘Xberg Duck’. As Vogel describes it, this is a dish made using quality Irish Silver Hill Duck, cooked in an Asian style, and served in the heart of Germany’s capital city – a dish which truly highlights the international acclaim and versatility of Irish produce.