Wagyu beef produced in Co. Wicklow was among the highlights on the menu when 50 European leaders dined at the National Gallery of Ireland last night (Thursday, November 12).

The state dinner, hosted by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, took place as part of the 9th European Political Community (EPC) Summit in Dublin.

Chef Mark Moriarty was selected by the Department of An Taoiseach to design and deliver the official dinner.

The Taoiseach set a culinary brief that focused on celebrating Irish food heritage, exceptional provenance, artisan suppliers, and sustainable dining.

Beef

The four-course menu showcased world-class Irish produce, including Ridgeway dry-aged beef from Co. Wicklow; smoked wild Irish salmon from Sally Barnes’ Woodcock Smokery in west Cork; Dublin-grown cabbage from Jenny McNally; Donegal rapeseed oil; local root vegetable; Glenilen Farm butter, and Killahora Rare Apple Ice Wine.

Mark Moriarty said that he and the team from Mark Moriarty Studio were "honoured and delighted to represent Irish hospitality, and to showcase our chefs, producers, and food makers to leaders and prime ministers from all across Europe".

"We hope we’ve done the industry proud, and put on a show that highlights what 21st-century Irish food and hospitality are all about," he said.

Mark added that it was "quite a pinch-me moment to see our food served in the National Gallery on the state china with its little gold harp".

Farmer John Hourigan told Agriland his beef had to initially undergo a taste test before it was selected for the menu around two months ago.

He then had to match the sample with animal sired by same bull and on the same feeding regime for the dinner itself.

The striploins served last night were all sourced from a 30-month-old heifer, sired by the farm’s own bull, Magnum who is widely used in their breeding programme.

"It’s great, we’re delighted. We didn't think that much about it until it happened and then when you see who is eating your beef, all the world leaders, it's great," he said.

Wagyu

Ridgeway Farm, which is based in Donard, began producing Wagyu beef around 10 years ago and now supplies restaurants across Ireland and Europe.

"We got gold in the World Steak Challenge in the ribeye [category] with an animal sired by the same animal three months ago in Amsterdam. That was a massive help to us.

"I would say this probably will be a help too, it's good advertising anyway. It’s brilliant," he said.

John said he was delighted with how the beef was presented by Mark Moriarty on the plate as "the marbling really stood out".

"He's a great chef, he's world-class. That’s why Micheál Martin picked him," John said.

"Micheál was, I think, very much involved in the whole thing. He was really involved in the tasting, even the initial tasting, which is great," he added.

The full official menu for the European Political Community (EPC) Summit dinner was as follows:

Baked potato sourdough with Glenilen farm butter;
Celeriac baked in barley;
Sally Barnes wild Irish smoked salmon from Co. Cork with BBQ butter sabayon, green apple;
Striploin of dry aged Ridgeway beef from Co. Wicklow with artichoke, seaweed, roasted bone marrow jus gras;
Side service to share: Jenny McNally’s roasted cabbage, bacon, herbs and 50/50 mashed potato (made with salted Irish butter);
Irish coffee gateau opera served with salted Irish milk sorbet.