Sláinte! A foodie’s guide to celebrating St Patrick’s Day

Traditionally a cultural and religious celebration held to mark the death of missionary and Bishop, St. Patrick, St. Patrick’s Day has evolved into a globally inclusive celebration of Irish culture, regardless of your heritage.

And with St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow, Ireland’s food board – Bord Bia – has compiled this handy guide featuring the best ways to get involved in the celebrations.

Start the day right

Irish food is all about high quality ingredients and great flavour so what better way to start St. Patrick’s Day than with a traditional Irish breakfast?

For the perfect breakfast on a lazy Sunday morning, try a combination of grilled or fried bacon rashers, sausages, tomatoes, a fried egg and for a real treat, homemade brown or white soda bread.

Don’t forget the black and white pudding – for the best results use Clonakilty – it’s the leading black pudding in Ireland, available in supermarkets in the UK, and is made using premium Irish beef.

Colette Twomey is the sole owner and the only person who knows the secret spice mix – using a recipe that originated in the town of Clonakilty in the 1880’s - and hasn’t changed it since.

Cook up an Irish feast

Whether it’s a warming stew, a hearty hot pot or a Cottage pie made with nutritious Irish beef and stout, there are a number of delicious Irish dishes you can recreate at home.

If you’re cooking for friends or family or simply indulging in some quality food this St. Patrick’s Day, make sure to sample some of the fantastic produce coming from Ireland – whether its the freshest smoked salmon from Burren Smokehouse, award-winning goats cheese from St Tola or innovative vegan alternatives from The Happy Pear.

Raise a glass

With a growing appreciation of fine foods and spirits, and a desire for products with genuine heritage, it’s no surprise that Irish whiskey is the fastest growing spirit in the world.

So, rather than reaching for that traditional pint of Guinness, why not try something a bit different this St. Patrick’s Day?

From Glendalough Distillery, to Walsh Whiskey Distillery, to Jameson and Teeling Whiskey, the Irish whiskey renaissance means that there’s more choice than ever before and something to suit everyone’s taste buds.

If whiskey isn’t your thing – fear not, as whether it’s foraged botanicals or fresh citrus flavours, the Emerald Isle has an ever-growing list of gins that is sure to impress even the most discerning gin drinker this St Patrick’s Day.

From Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, which combines distillation of citrus fruits with a special selection of oriental botanicals including gunpowder tea and local Drumshanbo meadowsweet, to the newly released Glendalough Rose Gin, which uses wild rose petals from three varieties, there really is something for everyone.

Create a St Patrick’s Day cheeseboard

St Patrick’s Day is the perfect opportunity to sample the finest, award-winning cheeses from Ireland.

For the perfect cheeseboard this St Patrick’s Day, keep it simple - choose three to four Irish cheeses, then make sure there’s a good biscuit, cracker or artisan bread and chutney.

When it comes to choosing the Irish cheeses, make sure you include different textures and flavours – a hard, such as the full-flavoured Cahill’s Plain Porter; a soft or creamy goat’s cheese, such as St Tola; and a characterful blue such as Cashel Blue. Why not head to a specialist cheese shop, like Neal’s Yard Dairy, to taste a fantastic selection of Irish cheeses before you buy?