Food Matters
Episodes
S3 Ep32: Growing at Grantstown, with David Currid
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
David Currid grows almost 50,000 tomato plants every year at Grantstown Nurseries — the family business his parents started after moving from Dundal...
S3 Ep31: Buy Irish honey, save Ireland’s bees, with Aoife Nic Giolla Coda
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Aoife Nic Giolla Coda’s love of beekeeping was passed down from her father, Micheál, who founded Galtee Honey Farm in 1970. When her father neared ...
S3 Ep30: Saving Seeds, Securing the Future, with Madeline McKeever
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Madeline McKeever is on a mission to protect biodiversity and secure our food future—one seed at a time. A former dairy farmer in West Cork, Madelin...
SECOND BITES: Paul Brophy, Ireland’s ‘Broccoli Baron’
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The GIY team and I are taking a short summer break from recordings, but in the meantime, we’ll be bringing you a selection of our favourite episodes...
SECOND BITES: Mark Diacono – from River Cottage to his own ‘climate change farm’
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The GIY team and I are taking a short summer break from recordings, but in the meantime, we’ll be bringing you a selection of our favourite episodes...
S3 Ep29: Ashes to Action: The Glenisk Story of Sustainability
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Vincent Cleary is one of Ireland’s original champions of food sustainability. Having taken over the family yoghurt business from his father in the m...
S3 Ep28: Sea Change: Niall Sabongi on Irish Seafood Sustainability
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Niall Sabongi is on a mission to change how we eat, and think about, seafood in Ireland. A chef and seafood entrepreneur, Niall was frustrated by stuf...
S3 Ep27: Tom Keogh talks spuds, snacks and food security
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Keogh has a great story to tell. Their family has been farming the land for over three generations, supplying the fresh produce market with potato...
S3 Ep26: Beyond Carbon Neutral: John Gilliland’s approach to Sustainable Farming
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
John Gilliland is on a mission to transform how we think about food, farming, and the environment. At Brook Hall Estate, his family’s historic farm ...
S3 Ep25: From Surf to Turf, with Fergal Smith
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Having spent over a decade as an international pro surfer, Fergal Smith made the life-changing decision to return home to the west of Ireland and foll...
S3 Ep24: Farming in a conflict zone - Dr Ollie Moore’s journey through the West Bank
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Ollie Moore is an expert in the sociology of farming and food, and one of Ireland’s leading experts on food systems and champions of food justice...
S3 Ep23: From Chef to Seed Saver: The Journey of Mitch McCullough
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mitch McCullough’s journey into the world of heirloom seeds and heritage vegetables is anything but ordinary. A former chef turned grower, Mitch exp...
S3 Ep22 - Exploring Ireland’s Culinary Past, with Mairtín Mac Con Iomaire
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We talk a lot about the future of food on this podcast, but what about the past? Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire is on a mission to uncover and celebrate Ir...
S3 Ep21 - The power of organic fitness, with Colman Power
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Colman Power’s mission is a simple one – to help people become happier and healthier through good food, regular movement, and spending time in nat...
S3 Ep20: How small scale farming can make a big impact, with Kevin Wallace
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kevin Wallace had no farming background at all, yet he has become one of Ireland’s most successful small-scale producers, growing a range of produce...
S3 Ep19: Taking a zero tolerance approach to food waste, with Conor Spacey
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Conor Spacey was working in his first kitchen he was shocked at the amount of perfectly good food being thrown away. He convinced his boss to let...
S3 Ep18: Baking bread, building community with Ciara O hArtghaile
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Ciara O hArtghaile returned home to Co Antrim, after a year living in New Zealand, she and her husband had a clear mission: to build a community ...
S3 Ep17: Turning unused city spaces into thriving farms
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brian McCarthy founded innovative urban farming project Cork Rooftop Farm during the first covid lockdown in March 2020. Situated on a rooftop in Cork...
S3 Ep16: From Plant to Plate, with Darryl Gadzekpo and Ella Phillips
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Darryl Gadzekpo and Ella Phillips are on a mission to get kids growing, cooking, and eating more plant-powered food. Having previously worked in the a...
S3 Ep15: Getting to the core of apple growing in Ireland with Con Traas
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that Ireland is very well-suited for growing apples, but despite that, we import over 95% of the apples we eat? Irish apples can sometime...
S3 Ep14: 20 years of The Happy Pear
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 2004, David and Stephen Flynn, aka The Happy Pear, opened a small fruit and veg shop in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, with a dream of helping people eat...
S3 Ep13: Charles Dowding - The ‘No-Dig’ Guru
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
So is it possible that digging your garden is a total waste of your time? According to our guest on this episode, it may be time to put down that shov...
S3 Ep12: How a passion for growing became a successful career
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lynsay Orton always had a passion for growing rare and exotic fruit and veg until unexpected family circumstances turned that passion into a very nich...
S3 Ep11: Fighting for a Fairer Food System, with Pete Russell, Ooooby
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Pete Russell was running a 12m dollar-a-year food company when, suddenly, he had a “road to Damascus” moment. Pete realised that he was a part o...
S3 Ep10: The Power of Permaculture, with Perrine Hervé-Gruyer
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When we work with, rather than against nature, great things can happen: soil is healthier, biodiversity richer, and crop yields higher. Perrine Hervé...
S3 Ep 9: Mark Diacono – from River Cottage to his own ‘climate change farm’
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Diacono found his life’s purpose and direction through food and he has dedicated his life to growing, cooking and writing about it. Having been...
S3 Ep8: Karen O’Donoghue – my lifelong journey to a Happy Tummy
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Cork-born Karen O'Donoghue is a woman with a mission: to improve people's gut health through the bread she bakes at The Happy Tummy Co. in W...
S3 Ep7: Sally Barnes - Ireland’s ‘Wild Salmon Warrior’
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sally Barnes is both a force of nature and a champion for it. One of Ireland’s most iconic artisan food producers, Sally runs the last smokehouse ...
S3 Ep6: Caitlin Ruth, Fermenting Change
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Get the jars, vinegar and flavourings at the ready because Caitlin Ruth is about to inspire you to start pickling and preserving everything you can ge...
S3 Ep5: Why size doesn’t matter! Huw Richards & Sam Cooper
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
They say that size doesn’t matter, it’s what you do with it that counts. And when it comes to growing our own food, that’s certainly the case. R...
S3 Ep 4: Johnny Flahavan – Not your Run of the Mill Family Business
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Flahavans is one of Ireland’s most iconic family businesses. Having milled locally-grown oats in Co Waterford for almost 250 years, the family has b...
S3 Ep3: Dr Rebecca O' Mahony – How to get that good gut feeling
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us have grown up learning that bugs and bacteria are bad, but did you know that our bodies are packed full of little microbes that are working...
S3 Ep2: Ali Honour – Queen Bean and Conscious Chef
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ali Honour wants to DOUBLE the amount of beans we eat globally. Why? Because not only are beans incredibly good for our bodies and our pockets, they’...
S3 Ep1: Paul Brophy, Ireland’s ‘Broccoli Baron’
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever bought a head of broccoli in an Irish supermarket, Paul Brophy probably grew it. Paul Brophy Produce grows almost 11 million broccoli...
The psychology of shopping and buying local
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How much are you willing pay to buy Irish, to buy organic, and to ensure that food producers are getting a fair price for their goods? In this episode...
From Picky to Proactive: Deirdre Doyle on Inspiring Healthy Eating Habits in Children
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Deirdre Doyle has dedicated her career to encouraging children to eat healthy food and to cook it for themselves. As founder of Cool Food School, Deir...
Nutritional Inequality: Unpacking the School Lunch Divide
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Food Done Right, Mick Kelly hosts a panel discussion on practical ways to get children interested in growing their own food. Joined...
Farming, famine and fighting hunger
01 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Steve Collins is a medical doctor with a PhD in Nutrition, who has spent the last 35 years fighting malnutrition and starvation in the developing worl...
Mass movements versus mass extinctions
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From the promotion of rewilding to protecting pollinators, our actions to combat the biodiversity crisis are proving successful. But what else can we ...
Rory O’Boyle on why veganism is more than just a diet
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rory O’Boyle is an animal rights activist and volunteer for Go Vegan World. In this episode of Food Done Right he talks about:●His journey to beco...
Planet-based diets
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode we explore the science behind how a change in diet will help us achieve our food sustainability goals. Recorded at Waterford’s Harve...
From Healthcare to Horticulture: Máiréad Costin of Garraí Mara organic farm
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet Máiréad, a beacon of inspiration in the realm of Irish organic horticulture and a proud representative of the increasing number of female farme...
Living and Communicating through the Climate Crisis
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
John Gibbons is one of Ireland best-known environmental journalists and commentators. A very familiar voice on radio shows like The Last Word with Mat...
Global Shocks, Local Impact
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A fascinating panel discussion from GIY’s Harvest festival where four experts in food production and sustainability discuss the global issues that h...
Food Done Right: In Care
05 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The food given to the sick, or those in institutional care, says a lot about the value we place on it in society. Hospital food has long exemplified a...
Food Done Right: In Restaurants
29 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Chefs play a major role in determining food trends. Advocacy specialist Paul Newnham works to mobilise chefs globally to take action towards addressin...
Food Done Right: At Work
22 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The major global tech companies have created their own food culture over the last decade, characterised as excessive and wasteful at times, but trail-...
Food Done Right: In The Community
15 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Northern Europe is generally a good place to look for how the world should function sustainably. In Holland, Geert van der Veer's organisation He...
Food Done Right: At School
08 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
School closures during lockdown revealed the dependency so many children have on school meals. Serial food entrepreneur, writer and researcher Michell...
Food Done Right: At Home
30 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The global food system is at its worst in American households. Roger Doiron campaigned for the White House to create a kitchen garden to help educate ...
Introducing Food Done Right
16 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A new podcast from GIY