That is according to Tom Hayes, Minister for State at the Department of Agriculture. Speaking at the Taste Council summer school in Brooklodge, Wicklow, Minister Hayes said we export 90% of our beef and milk mostly to commodity markets but there is real possibilities to increase this value by exporting more artisan and organic produce. “We could produce a huge amount of organic but we are not doing it. We have to ask ourselves why,” he added.

At home he said the real opportunity is the food that is sold on the plates across Ireland. “Tourists visiting Ireland are one of the best opportunities to promote Irish food when they return home,” he added.

Minister Hayes promised that there will be more money for food in the next LEADER programme under the next rural development programme.

Ciara Jackson, Head of Food and Beverage, Grant Thorton, said that the artisan market is worth €500 million with over 350 producers. “There are 47 cheese makers alone and the market is not saturated especially for export. There is a huge amount of momentum behind the sector,” she said.

The difficulty for many producers is to take the next step to increase sales and profitability mainly due to the cost of doing business and access to finance. Ciara Jackson highlighted the newly established model of the Irish Food co-op set up by seven producers to increase sales and reduce the cost of business as a way forward for Artisan producers.

The need for co-operation was a common theme throughout the day. Chapter One chef Ross Lewis said there has been a real revolution in artisan food with more chefs looking to use their products. “The problem is that small producers have difficulty in sales and marketing and passing that onto a middle man has not always been successful. The internet has become a powerful tool and will be part of the next step that links artisans and the marketplace,” he said.

Butcher Ed Hicks said that due to the labour intensive nature of the business the industry is job intensive and has the potential to create hundreds of jobs in the food sector.