A popular restaurant that specialises in Italian cuisine in the Japanese capital of Tokyo is featuring Irish beef and lamb on its menu over the course of March and April.

As part of a campaign that began on March 10 and continues until April 30, top-rated restaurant La Bisboccia will showcase Irish beef and lamb not only on its menus but also across the business' social media channels.

The meat is provided by processor ABP, which has been supplying La Bisboccia with beef and lamb since 2019.

Last year, the restaurant's head chef, Hiroki Inoue, visited Ireland as part of a Bord Bia delegation of chefs, where he witnessed "the world-class processing standards and farm-to-fork traceability of Irish beef and lamb at ABP's facilities, reinforcing his confidence in ABP's premium product", a statement from ABP said.

Martin McMahon, general manager of ABP international, said: "Japan is an important market for premium Irish beef and lamb, and we are delighted to see continued demands from top-tier restaurants including the wonderful La Bisboccia.

"The commitment of culinary leaders such as Chef Inoue to Irish meat is a testament to its quality and traceability," McMahon added.

He said ABP "remains committed to expanding the presence of Irish beef in Japan, working closely with Bord Bia to strengthen relationships with leading chefs and restaurants".

The latest initiative follows a restaurant promotion campaign in November and December 2024 in a number of restaurants, which ABP said generated significant interest from Japanese consumers.

The promotion campaign by the restaurant says (translated from Japanese) that the Irish offering is "grass-fed raised lean meat from beef and sheep".

Irish beef has been seeing good progress elsewhere in Asia this month.

Irish exporters can now send beef produce to Thailand, after Ireland gained market access to the country.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon, and Minister of State for food promotion and new markets Noel Grealish, made the announcement on March 10.

The categories of Irish beef that can be exported to Thailand include all edible parts, bone-in and boneless cuts, both fresh and frozen. Beef offal is not included.

Thailand is the second-largest economy in Southeast Asia (after Indonesia). Overall demand for beef among its roughly 70 million people is back to pre-Covid levels. Of this, 80% is filled by domestic production and 20% is filled by imports.

Beef consumption is growing in Thailand, and is set to exceed 3kg per capita annually by 2028.