Donegal's Aoife O'Donnell selected as Taste the Atlantic Young Chef Ambassador

Twenty-three year old, Aoife O’Donnell has been selected for this year's Taste the Atlantic, Young Chef Ambassador Programme. 

The  Maghery native was selected as one of just five ambassadors this year.  Aoife and the other ambassadors will embark on a four-month programme to familiarise themselves with Ireland's premium seafood and the people who produce it along the Wild Atlantic Way.

Over the past three years, she has worked at Danny Minnie’s in Annagry and is now their Fish Chef. Aoife is proud of her Donegal heritage and believes there is huge potential for a stronger focus on local food and food tourism. She wants to work to feature more local seafood on menus and give visitors and locals alike a real taste of Donegal.

The chefs came together for their induction to the Ambassador programme, which will include visits to several seafood producers in Kerry, Cork and Galway to learn all about oyster and mussel farming, the art of seafood smoking, fish mongering skills and recipe creation.

In collaboration with Chef Network and Fáilte Ireland, the immersive BIM programme is now in its fourth year. Following applications from all over Ireland, the appointed chefs are selected based on their applications, followed by an interview process. The Taste the Atlantic Young Chef Ambassador Programme is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union, under the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF).