Brid Torrades understated activist and food educator
Brid has been a trail blazer on the Irish food scene for the last three decades since she and her husband Mark opened Glebe Country House in Colloney in 1990, which became famous for wild salmon and Culleenmore mussels and locally grown vegetables. In 2000 Bríd took over the cafe at The Model Arts centre in Sligo. When it closed for renovations in 2006 she took the opportunity to open Osta Café and Wine Bar with a twin operation in Manorhamilton Osta at WB8 since 2019.
Her drive to encourage new producers, create a local food scene and make good food accessible to all, led her to spearhead the founding of the So Sligo Food Festival in 2011, which prepared the groundwork for Sligo Food Trail.She loves to work with fresh ingredients and herself and Mark have collected wild food since childhood and are avid supporters of local producers, recognised by Bord Bia recently when Ósta Café was awarded the Just Ask Restaurant of the Month for December.
An active member of Eurotoques for over 20 years and never one to sit still, she completed a Masters in Applied Culinary Nutrition last year; one of the first seven people in the world to do so.
Mark and their son Tommy are producing seaweed products under the name Seapunk Seaweed.
Here is Brid Torrades uncovered
What is your favourite food? No favourites! I love most food especially when it’s in season and close to its provenance.
Finish the sentence: A chef is or should be always learning!
The country you travel for food: Every country – I don’t think any country can claim to have the best food but I love places that have preserved and celebrate their culinary traditions and serve fresh local produce.
Three things you always have in your larder/fridge? At the moment I keep very little in the fridge as I am rarely at home. When I do stock up I usually buy cheese (my downfall), seasonal fruit and veg and smoked fish. I also have various ferments and many spices!
What is your most used gadget? My much loved Thermomix has died from overuse and hard to replace as the newer models are too high tech and security conscious!
Do you read cookbooks and which one do you come back to? I look at lots of pictures!! I do refer often to my professional reference books and research papers (historical and nutritional) more so than actual cookery books.
Who is your inspiration (not necessarily from the food world): Myrtle Allen was a huge inspiration for me, particularly from the time I opened a country house restaurant.
What are you currently listening to? Nothing – I like to work in silence, but I do enjoy relaxing with most types of music – especially jazz!
Something people don’t know about you? I featured on Nationwide (TV programme) in 1998 over 20 years ago cooking with seaweed.
· What will be hot in 2020? In the food world - zero waste, zero food miles!
