Trends and Paradoxes: the economy contracts, the Bridgestone community grows and grows.
As we were writing the ninth edition of the Bridgestone Irish Food Guide, which arrived in bookshops this week, it became apparent that something curious was happening. The section on County Mayo, for instance, totaled no fewer than 15 pages of entries. We looked back at the 2007 BIFG, and found that County Mayo, back then, totaled 9 pages. A 60% increase in the Bridgestone Community of superlative food specialists. And the same was true most everywhere, which has meant that the new edition is a genuine door-stopper: 624 pages in total, almost 100 pages more than the last time and that edition, the 8th, was 100 pages bigger than its predecessor in 2004.
So, how do we explain the paradox that as the economy shrinks, the BIFG grows? People are spending less, but they are patronising the best restaurants – the Bridgestone restaurants – almost as much as ever. And in the markets, good producers are busier than ever, and happier. So, with doom and gloom all around us, here in the 9th edition of the BIFG are 624 pages of good news all about the good stuff made by the good guys in the food world throughout Ireland.
The 9th edition of the Bridgestone Irish Food Guide costs €15 and you can order it now from http://www.bestofbridgestone.com/books/index.html
