Northside chef donates meals to help combat food poverty

A NORTHSIDE chef who donates meals to impoverished children in the developing world will be showcasing his healthy range of seasonal salads at the first annual Bite Food Festival, which takes place in the RDS this weekend.

Shane Ryan, who has just established FEED at the ABC Campus in Drumcondra, will be one of the country’s top artisan producers showcased at the major new food festival, which is expected to attract over 20,000 Irish food and drink lovers.

After working in the hotel trade in the Middle-East and China, Shane returned to Ireland to start his own business and FEED was born.

“When I was abroad I was working 100 hours a week and wasn’t eating properly,” he said.

“My father told me to prioritise mealtimes and eat good wholesome, natural food as much as I could.

“I was suddenly thinking better, acting better and my life changed. That’s what FEED is about. Being able to eat healthily while on the go.”

Feed.ie provide a ‘lunch with a conscience’ as for every lunch ordered, Shane will donate a meal to a child in the developing world through his charity partner, Mary’s Meals.

“The social element to FEED is something that is really at the core of the business,” Shane added.

“There are 400 million children suffering from hunger across the world, which is a fact that we can so easily forget.

“Everyone wants to give something back but life gets in the way. If you build it into an everyday thing like lunch, it becomes habitual.”

Bite 2015 runs from November 19-22 and will feature top chefs and food experts as well as a huge range of producers who are there to sell, sample and educate people about their unique products.

A must for food lovers, Bite 2015 will also feature tastings and demonstrations from chefs such as Donal Skehan and Domini Kemp as well as free cooking classes led by Lynda Booth of the Dublin Cookery School for adults and children alike.

Full details and booking can be found at www.bitefoodfestival.ie.