WWW.IDAIRELAN.COM THE PRODUCER
A job opportunity in the hospitality sector brought Eva Malik to Ireland from Poland, setting her on a course to become the country’s first snail farmer. “I came here 10 years ago to work for Lyrath Estate Hotel in Kilkenny and in 2011, my partner and I visited France where we tasted snails for the first time. We couldn’t get them in Ireland so we decided to start rearing snails in our one-bedroom apartment. It was a hobby, we had no intention of rearing snails on a commercial scale.”
It was a snail shortage on the continent that sparked something inside the woman who describes herself as somewhat of a latent entrepreneur. “We discovered the huge potential out there and decided to try it. We set up our farm, Gaelic Escargot, in Garryhill, Carlow. The locals were very supportive, all the neighbours were very interested and enthusiastic.”
Malik imported 30,000 breeders and, through trial and error, created a method that works in the Irish climate and there are now 11 snail farms in Ireland. “To date we have sold our product fresh, but this year we are working with a Greek processing plant to sell pre-cooked snails in brine. The trigger for us was an enquiry from the Middle East – they wanted something that had a longer shelf life and that can travel well. There is a huge interest in pre-cooked snails from the US and Japan.”
And it seems there is an Irish appetite too, with snails among the more unusual ingredients appearing on menus across the land. “Ireland has became a multinational country and Irish chefs are being inspired by other cuisines and are using local ingredients in ways they have never been used before, like stuffed pig tail by Ross Lewis of Chapter One in Dublin, our own escargot with baked potato and garlic scapes by Keith Boyle of The Bay Tree Bistro in Waterford, and umami-rich Japanese seafood dishes by Cork’s Takashi Miyazaki, to name but a few. It is so inspiring to see Irish chefs using food produce coming from small farmers and working together to showcase the best of Irish food.”
Malik is an ardent fan of Irish produce and uses many artisan ingredients in her snail dishes. “There are so many innovative food producers across Ireland who think outside the box, who are going back to heritage varieties and looking at new ways of making or growing them, like bringing the Dexter breed back to life, ensuring the survival of one of just three native Irish breeds of cattle. Some of our favourite ingredients are Drummond House garlic which we use with our escargot all the time, Blumblebee edible flowers, Wild Irish Foragers shrubs which we use for dressings and marinades, and Móinéir fruit wines – their strawberry wine is to die for!”
producers across Ireland who think outside the box, who are going back to heritage varieties and looking at new ways of making or growing them.”
She is also heartened by the sense of community among makers and growers. “I admire Irish food producers: their dedication, the quality of their products and the passion they put into their businesses, and I am blown
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away by the support they give each other. It is so inspiring seeing them growing together and not treating themselves as competitors. It is a very unique approach and makes the Irish food scene better and stronger.”
gaelicescargot.com
“There are so many innovative food
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